Sangiao happy wards are in world rankings | Inquirer Sports

Sangiao happy wards are in world rankings

/ 05:20 AM May 01, 2020

Coach Mark Sangiao is basking in a rare ray of sunshine after receiving an update on ONE Championship’s latest world rankings.

“It was the first bit of news I saw when I turned on my phone,” he told the Inquirer in a text message. “It’s the kind that brings joy and smile to your face at the heart of these not-so-good things we’re all facing right now.”

Five fighters out of his Team Lakay stable crashed the mixed martial arts rankings, led by young strawweight champion, Joshua Pacio.

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Kevin Belingon, Danny Kingad, and the upstart Lito Adiwang also made the cut. Rounding out the list is Gina Iniong, who is coming off a gold in Southeast Asian Games kickboxing and a decisive victory in ONE’s event here in January.

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“It’s a good push not only for me and for the fighters,” he said. “It’s a motivation and a validation that we’re doing right by [our approach] to be competitive, and world-caliber athletes.”

“But then again, this ranking doesn’t mean that we can [afford to begin] plodding,” he said.

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Team Lakay, at one point, had five simultaneous world champions across two global promotions: Pacio, Belingon, Eduard Folayang, Geje Eustaquio and Stephen Loman.

Loman is the bantamweight champion of another fast-rising Asian MMA promotion, Brave CF. He has defended his title four straight times since winning it three years ago.

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TAGS: Mark Sangiao, Mixed Martial Arts, One Championship

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