Back to zero as Team Lakay loses all ONE world titles in heartbreaking stretch
FILE – Team Lakay during its fruitful reign with four fighters holding four belts. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
TOKYO, Japan—And then there were none.
Two months ago, Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio lost their world titles after suffering heartbreaking decisions in just a span of six days.
READ: Team Lakay’s Joshua Pacio yields ONE strawweight title
On Sunday, Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon yielded theirs on the same night.
From four ONE world champions to end 2018, Team Lakay will now have to work their way back up again after all four of its fighters lost their belts just three months into the new year.
READ: Geje Eustaquio bows to Adriano Moraes for 2nd time, surrenders flyweight title
Folayang and Belingon were the last men standing for Team Lakay heading into Sunday’s big event.
Both failed in their title defenses in ONE: A New Era with Belingon losing to Bibiano Fernades in their third encounter via disqualification while Folayang fell to Shinya Aoki in their rematch in the main event.
READ: Kevin Belingon yields ONE bantamweight belt after getting disqualified
Despite the undesirable outcome for Team Lakay, it still had a silver lining with its rising star Danny Kingad advancing to the semifinals of the Flyweight World Grand Prix.
Kingad impressed in his quarterfinal matchup against Senzo Ikeda, whom he beat via unanimous decision.
