It was a bittersweet night for Philippine mixed martial arts. Team Lakay split their assignments in ONE Championship’s final show for the year, ONE: Winter Warriors II.
While debuting fighters Jhanlo “The Machine” Sangiao and Stephen “The Sniper” Loman scored huge wins. Meanwhile, former ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon and no. 2-ranked flyweight Danny “The King” Kingad dropped their matches on Friday, 17 December, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Let’s dissect the major takeaways from their bouts and determine what to expect from these fighters moving forward.
The Future Is Bright For Team Lakay
Sangiao’s arrival is the biggest news for Filipino MMA fans because he has been touted as the next big thing ever since he started his journey in the all-encompassing sport. After spending roughly two and a half minutes inside the Circle, it looks like the hype is no fluke.
The teenager overwhelmed Paul “The Great King” Lumihi with an all-around display. He mixed his attacks with flashy kicks and a barrage of punches while on his feet. He then unleashed his wrestling and grappling skills on the Indonesian to finish the match via submission.
His performance proves that the next generation of Team Lakay fighters is as talented as their predecessors. Sangiao will continue to improve, but his impressive debut is already a by-product of the years of training alongside world champions with extensive experience in ONE.
Stephen Loman Is For Real
Many were intrigued by Loman’s arrival in The Home Of Martial Arts because of his 14-2 record and his eight-bout winning streak. The five-time MMA champion fought as advertised by finishing Yusup “The Maestro” Saadulaev in style with a beautiful counter left hook.
While the match didn’t showcase Loman’s entire fighting repertoire, the Russian competitor was wary of the Filipino’s grappling game. Despite his perceived advantage in their ground game, the fighter from Uflacker Academy never had a serious attempt to bring the match to the canvas.
Loman promptly made him pay by popping him with a left hook that ended the night for the no. 3-ranked bantamweight contender.
The Flyweight Division Could Be The Toughest In ONE 
It wasn’t a good showing for Kingad, the no. 2-ranked contender, for he had no answers to Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov’s control and wrestling. His dismal display is somewhat surprising, considering that he withstood Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson’s ground game during their encounter.
This outcome proves how deep and dangerous the flyweight division is. Akhmetov cemented his case to join the contenders lined up to challenge reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes.
