Team Lakay has had a shakeup as of late. Three former ONE Championship World Champions exited the famed Filipino gym, but Jhanlo Sangiao plans to carry the gym’s banner for the next generation at ONE Fight Night 13 against Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu. And he is excited about the team’s future with new blood joining the ranks.
Jhanlo Sangiao Plans to Lead the Charge for Team Lakay
“Honestly, I don’t think [the veterans leaving] affected us at all. We have a lot of new athletes to compete under the Team Lakay banner. I have new sparring partners now, so we’re fine. Take Carlos Alvarez, for example. Seeing Carlos Alvarez continue to win fights in ONE Friday Fights definitely excites me. I’m pumped up to continue winning myself seeing Carlos build a streak of his own,” Sangiao told ONE.
With his father, Mark, as the head coach of Team Lakay, Sangiao is the clear choice to be the face of the gym. However, “The Machine” merely wants to show the world what he can do inside the ring and take another step forward toward the top end of the division.
“I don’t really look at myself as the new face of Team Lakay. I just want to let things move naturally. Just enjoy the ride, train hard, and then show [what I can do] each time I get the chance to compete. That’s my goal. If they want to say that I’m the face of the team, then thank you. I’ll try to live up to that,” Sangiao said.
The 21-year-old is all about a team mentality and believes the sum is greater than its individual parts. That philosophy was instilled in him by his father. And that collective way of thinking is still the trademark mentality of Team Lakay.
“I guess it’s all about building that new identity now, a culture of collaboration where we focus on helping each other out, particularly to those who have a fight coming up, sharing what we’ve experienced with each other,” the 21-year-old stated.
Sangiao plans to lead Team Lakay into its new era by defeating Baatarkhuu in Bangkok. Having started his ONE career with three straight submission wins, “The Machine” may have a chance to showcase his striking in this matchup. But no matter where the action goes, Sangiao is confident he will be able to show Team Lakay is still at the top of the heap.
“Looking at Baatarkhuu, I feel l can hang with his wrestling. We have great wrestlers on our team who can help me in my training. Plus, I have Team Lakay’s signature striking, so this is a win. I have lots of faith in myself and in my training. I believe in my partners at Team Lakay, and I know that I have the best coach in my corner in my dad, so I’m confident that I can hang with anyone,” Sangiao said.
ONE Fight Night 13 will air live on Friday, August 4, on Prime Video. The action will begin at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The event is free for all U.S. and Canadian Prime Video subscribers.
