Team Lakay arrives in Tokyo as ONE: A New Era fight week kicks off

Team Lakay leads ONE: New Era fight week. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

TOKYO, Japan—Fight week is in the air.

The Philippines’ premiere mixed martial artists have arrived here in this chilly busy capital ahead of ONE Championship’s grandest event yet.

Members of the famed Team Lakay are in town as they are set to stamp their class once again under the bright lights in ONE: A New Era on Sunday at the historic Ryogoku Kokugikan, where sumo wrestling tournaments are mainly held.

Kevin Belingon, the reigning bantamweight world champion, and rising flyweight Danny Kingad at Haneda Airport International Terminal around 2 p.m. (Manila time) while Folayang and the others, were on board a different flight.

Folayang will be fighting in the main event as he is set to defend his lightweight crown in a title rematch against Japanese legend Shinya Aoki.

Belingon, meanwhile, puts his bantamweight world title on the line against Brazilian star Bibiano Fernandes as the two rivals complete their trilogy.

And while both Folayang and Belingon are up for tough title defenses, Kingad is still searching for his own gold strap and his quest continues against hometown bet Senzo Ikeda in a Flyweight World Grand Prix quarterfinal.

A New Era is the first ONE Championship event in Japan and it features a total of four world title bouts. The card also marks the much-anticipated debuts of superstars Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez.