Marcelino Palitog Sana-oy: A Man Of The Mountains Gone Too Soon

. Marcelino Palitog Sana-oy (March 30, 1990 - November 20, 2019)
. A man of the mountains gone too soon.

He liked to call himself the "simplest runner" and he lived up to it from the time he started racing in the mountains when he was just eighteen years old to when he started flying through mountain races here and abroad. He came into the trail running scene when he was crowned the first champion of the Cordillera Mountain Marathon in Mt. Pulag and the Cordillera Mountain Ultra in Itogon, Benguet.

He has run the King of the Mountain running series. He has won the Pilipinas Akyathlon crown. He even ran races outside the country.

His name was Marcelino Palitog Sana-oy. He tragically passed away today during a freak accident in Bokod, Benguet.

Anyone who has ever met Marcelino can attest to the reality that he was one of the kindest and most humble person you'll ever met. He can be really shy but he'll always be there meeting you with his infectious smile. A smile that extends from ear to ear.

The oldest in a family of six siblings, Marcelino came from a humble background. He grew up in Cabayo, Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya. He moved to Bokod where he settled with his wife Fely and their young daughter Kee-Yah.

Life has always been a challenge for the decorated mountain runner. He has lost his mother. He lost a few of his fingers while working as a machine operator. Although he and his wife got blessed with a beautiful daughter they named Kee-Yah, life threw them a curve ball when Kee-Yah was diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

Despite all this, Marcelino kept trucking on with his optimistic attitude and an indomitable spirit. In hindsight, if you think about all the races he has finished and won, you get a sense of the type of man that he was even if you have never met him. He eats challenges for breakfast.

Today, we've lost a good husband, an exemplary father, and an inspiring ambassador of the sport of trail running. Runners will surely miss that petite man with a larger-than-life smile. Whether he was running as a racer, working in an aid station as a marshal, or sweeping runners, he has always been a ball of inspiration and positivity.

Rest in peace, Simplest Runner.

3 Team Lakay Fighters Score Impressive Wins In One Championship: Masters Of Fate

All three of the Team Lakay fighters who saw action in last night's One Championship: Masters of Fate event at the Mall of Asia Arena emerged with their hands raised. In the main event, Joshua Pacio defended his strawweight belt by submitting fellow Filipino Rene Catalan in the second round of a scheduled five-rounder. It's his first defense of the belt after regaining it from Yosuke Saruta last April.

Pacio first won the title last year when he decisioned Yoshitaka Naito of Japan. Catalan earned the shot at the belt after notching six straight wins. He cemented his number 1 contender spot when he dropped Yoshitaka Naita, the former champion, in the very first round.

In the co-main event, Eduard Folayang placed himself back in the winning column with a technical decision victory over Tsogookhuu Amarsanaa of Mongolia. Folayang was in control most of the fight. An accidental headbutt occurred midway in the second round which caused a huge gash in Folayang's cheek. The bout was stopped and Folayang was awarded the technical decision victory.

Prior to his win over Amarsanaa, Folayang lost two straight bouts to Eddie Alvarez and Shinya Aoki, two of the most decorated fighters in the promotion. With the victory, Folayang starts his journey back to the lightweight belt which is currently held by Singapore's Christian Lee.

Joshua Pacio celebrates after submitting Rene Catalan to retain his strawweight belt. Photo credit: One Championship

Geje Eustaquio, the former bantamweight champion, also rebounded with a knockout victory over Toni Tauru of Finland. Eustaquio ended the fight with a spinning back kick in the third and final round. This was the second time that Eustaquio and Tauru fought. They first met inside the cage in 2016 which the Finn won via submission.

Geje Eustaquio of Team Lakay Loses Via Knockout to Japanese Foe

Geje Eustaqio's journey back to the One Championship flyweight belt has hit a snag. He lost via knockout in the first minutes of his bout with Yuya Wakamatsu of Japan at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. The Team Lakay standout was looking great during the fight until he was caught with a straight right to the chin.

Wakamatsu fought like he can't wait to fly back home. He pushed the pace and went head-hunting early. But Eustaquio's defense and counter-striking didn't allow the Japanese star to do much damage. The end of the bout came out of nowhere. For one second, Eustaquio let his defense down. Wakamatsu saw his chance and throw the straight right that sent Eustaquio crashing to the mat. He pounced for the finish. The referee saw enough and signaled and end to the bout.

After losing his flyweight belt early this year to long-time nemesis Adriano Moraes, Eustaquio bounced back with a win over Kyu Sung Kim. Wakamatsu, on the other hand, is coming off a loss to Demetrious Johnson.

Eustaquio vs. Wakamatsu is part of the undercard of One Championship: Dawn of Heroes. The card is headlined by a championship bout between Martin Nguyen (champion) and Koyomi Matsushima (challenger).

Highest Point By Team Pinikpikan 50-Kilometer Road Run Post-Race Report

I learned a lot of lessons in this race. Probably the biggest realization is that preparing and training hard for an ultra doesn’t guarantee a strong finish on race day. Anything can happen and throw you off your game. I actually took the time to train for this race. In previous races, I only train and go for runs when I felt like running. There’s no cohesion at all. If I wake up and I feel like training, I’d go for a run. But if I wake up feeling lazy, then there’s no running for that day. But for HP, I ran and trained for a month. Woke up every single day and hauled myself to go for a short or long run depending on the week’s mileage target.

Then race day came. My only goal was to keep a conservative pace, maintain it without burning myself out, and cross the finish line in under 7 hours. If I can cross the finish line in under 7 hours, I’d be more than satisfied. I’d be happy. Ever since I started running, I never treated it as a competition. I run because I enjoy the process. I like the camaraderie among runners. And it’s my way of keeping my body fit and conditioned for upcoming hikes and climbs.

I felt great for the first 15 to 20 kilometers. My feet felt light. My breathing was good. I wasn’t getting tired that much. This race is going to be a breeze. Or so I thought. Then somewhere along one of the downhill sections in Caliking (or before Caliking, I’m not so sure of the geography here), I felt something twitch in my left knee. It didn’t hurt much so I was still able to run with it for a few kilometers. But the pain just got worse. I slowed down to a snail-paced jog. And then poof, out of nowhere, cramps started on the same left leg. This was my first time to experience leg cramps during a run.

And that was it. No more running or even jogging for me. Afraid that I might seriously injure the left leg if I keep running, I decided to walk and power-hike through the rest of the course. So for the last 20 to 25 kilometers, the ultramarathon turned into a walkathon. I became sort of a cheerleader for other runners passing me by. Finally crossed the finish line after 8 ½ hours. The 77th runner to do so out of 101 runners.

Finally, after eight and a half hours, we crossed the finish line. Photo credit: Sprite/Team Pinikpikan.

In a nutshell, it was a great race and a great experience with great people. A big thank you to Team Pinikpikan and everyone involved in the realization of this race. Congratulations to all my fellow runners. See you all again next year. Cheers.

A day after the race, I went to see a physician to have my left leg checked. Ayos naman, no injury or anything. Nabigla lang daw which I found weird and strange considering how I've been using the same leg to run for a month prior to the race. Anyway, the leg is fine. That's all that matters.

Geje Eustaquio of Team Lakay Wins Bout in Singapore

Geje Eustaquio of Team Lakay is back in the winning column with a well-deserved unanimous decision victory over South Korea's Kyu Sung Kim in Singapore in the undercard of One Championship: Enter the Dragon.

Eustaquio took the South Korean to school in the first two rounds of the three-round fight. Although he is much younger and with a significant height and reach advantage, Kim never found his rhythm until the third and final round. Eustaquio swept the first two rounds with his leg kicks and counter-punching. He effectively used his movement to tag the South Korean only to slip away just at the right moment to avoid the counters.

The third round was much more competitive with Kim increasing his output and aggression. He knew he lost the first two rounds so he knew he had to finish Eustaquio to get the win. Both fighters traded punches in the pocket. It was still a close round and could've gone on any direction. But with the take-down at the last seconds of the bout, Eustaquio secured the round.

With the win, Eustaquio is yet again inching towards the One Championship flyweight belt which he lost in January of this year to Adriano Moraes of Brazil. Who knows, the former champion might get the title shot with Moraes not yet penciled to fight anytime soon. Should Eustaquio and Moraes fight again, it will be the fourth time they lock horns inside the cage.

One Championship: Enter the Dragon is headlined by a championship battle between Shinya Aoki and Christian Lee.

Eric Kelly Loses To Kwon Won Il Of South Korea Via First-Round KO

Eric Kelly, one of the pioneers of mixed martial arts in the Cordilleras, if not in the Philippines, had another bad night when he had his lights shut out at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City in the under-card of One Championship: Roots of Honor. He succumbed to the punching power of Kwon Won Il, a lanky South Korean who took the fight on short notice. Kelly was supposed to lock horns with Kai Tang of China but the latter pulled out of the card. Reason for the shift hasn't been disclosed by the promotion.

The bout started normally with each fighter trying to read each other's movements. The beginning of the end came when a straight right hand from Kwon landed flush on Kelly's jaw and put him on the mat. A few hammer fists later, the referee stepped in to end the bout.

Kwon Won Il was vacationing in Manila when he was called to be Kelly's opponent. He last fought for One Championship in February in Singapore. He was submitted by Masakazu Imanari, the legendary Japanese fighter.

This is Kelly's sixth loss in a row. All losses came by either knockout or submission prompting fans to suggest that maybe it's time for him to hang up the gloves. Whatever route he chooses, he will always remain as one of those who paved the way for Cordilleran and Philippine MMA. With a professional career that started in 2009, Kelly currently holds a record of 12 wins and 7 losses. He had wins over Mitch Chilson, Jens Pulver, and Rob Lisita.

Team Lakay Goes 3 For 3 In One Championship: Reign Of Kings

Three mixed martial artists fighting under the Team Lakay banner brought home the bacon in their respective bouts last night (July 27) at a One Championship event dubbed Reign of Kings. In front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Joshua Pacio, Eduard Folayang, and Kevin Belingon dispatched their opponents with patience and precision. When the dust settled, two of them (Pacio and Folayang) are a step closer to challenging for the belt in their respective divisions. One of them (Belingon) had the glittering One Championship interim bantamweight strap wrapped around his waist. Twas a perfect night for the highland warriors.

Pacio, the first Team Lakay fighter to enter the cage that night, fought like he needed to catch an early bus to get back home. He finished the previously undefeated Pongsiri Mitsatit in the very first round of a scheduled three-rounder. An ill-timed kick by the Thai prospect gave Pacio the opportunity to take the fight to the ground. Pacio worked his way to full mount and unleashed a flurry of ground and pound. Mitsatit made his second mistake in the fight by giving up his back. Pacio saw an opportunity, secured a reverse arm lock, and it was all over.

With three straight wins, Pacio has made it clear that he’s ready to take another crack at Yoshitaka Naito, the Japanese veteran who currently holds the One Championship strawweight belt. Pacio first challenged Naito for the title back in October of 2016. He got submitted in the third round.

Folayang emerged victorious with a unanimous decision win over Aziz Pahrudinov, an undefeated fighter who was making his promotional debut in One Championship. It was a very close fight and each fighter had his moments. It boils down to which particular attack gets more merit. Folayang’s leg kicks or Pahrudinov’s takedowns. In the end, Folayang earned the nods of the judges. This is Folayang’s second win after losing the lightweight belt to Martin Nguyen last year.

In the main event, Belingon finally struck gold when he engaged Martin Nguyen in a technical fight. Belingon breezed through the rounds with ease. He was never put in any danger. He had answers to all of Nguyen’s attacks even in the later rounds when a clearly frustrated Nguyen went desperately for takedowns. Belingon stuffed the takedown attempts and delivered his own brand of violence whenever Nguyen got close enough. Belingon mixed it up with his signature kicks, improved boxing, and a takedown defense that seems to get better every fight.

With the victory, Belingon was crowned as the interim One Championship bantamweight champion. He still has one hurdle to go through before he can be proclaimed as the best in the division. And that’s Bibiano Fernandez. Fernandez has been sidelined due to an injury. Thus explains the interim belt awarded to Belingon. If the two combatants ever face again, it would be a rematch. Belingon first challenged Fernandez for the title back in January of 2016. He was submitted by the Brazilian in the first round.

The Belingon-Nguyen bout was only for the interim bantamweight title. This means, Nguyen still remains as the lightweight and featherweight champion.

Image credit: One Championship

Full One Championship: Reign of Kings results:
1. Kevin Belingon vs. Martin Nguyen – Belingon by unanimous decision
2. Shinya Aoki vs. Shannon Wiratchai – Aoki via technical knockout
3. Renzo Gracie vs. Yuki Kondo – Gracie via submission
4. Eduard Folayang vs. Aziz Pahrudinov – Folayang via unanimous decision
5. Garry Tonon vs. Rahul K. Raju – Tonon by submission
6. Joshua Pacio vs. Pongsiri Mitsatit – Pacio by submission
7. Rene Catalan vs. Stefer Rahardian – Catalan via unanimous decision
8. Xie Bin vs. Sor Sey – Bin via submission

April Osenio Of Team Lakay Loses Via TKO In Bangkok, Thailand

April Osenio's return to the One Championship ring after more than a year of inactivity proved disastrous when she succumbed to strikes courtesy of China's Xiong Jing Nan on Saturday night (December 9). The two squared off at a catch-weight bout in the undercard of One Championship: Warriors of the World at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Jing Nan snatched victory via technical knockout in the very first round.

Looking to rebound after her loss to Jenny Huang last year, Osenio opened the first round with aggression. Not to be outdone, Jing Nan answered with aggression. The story of the fight quickly turned to Jing Nan's favor when she took Osenio to the mat. She worked on her ground and pound then attempted a submission. Osenio was able to reverse the position but she decided to stand up and allow the fight to continue on their feet. The move proved ill-conceived as Jing Nan upped her game and doubled her pressure. With Osenio backed up against the cage, Jing Nan started teeing off on her. Osenio crumpled and the referee quickly stepped in to stop the contest.

Experience and ring generalship won the fight for Jing Nan. With the victory, Jing Nan improves her record to ten wins and just one loss. Osenio drops to two wins and three losses. With the dearth of fighters in One Championship's atomweight female division, Jing Nan will likely get the shot against the champion Angela Lee.

Xiong Jing Nan (right) celebrates after her TKO victory over April Osenio at One Championship: Warriors of the World. Photo: One Championship.

The main event for One Championship: Warriors of the World was a championship affair between Yoshitaka Naito and Alex Silva for the organization's strawweight strap. Japan's Naito, the defending champion, is as tough as they come but Brazil's Silva had answers to everything he did. The fight went the full distance and the judges rightfully gave the Brazilian challenger the unanimous decision victory.

KJ Natuplag Of Lagawe, Ifugao Captures PBF Featherweight Title In Highland Brawl

Kurvin John (KJ) Natuplag, a boxing prospect who hails from the town of Lagawe in Ifugao, shone the brightest when he bested Danilo Pena of Paranaque City to capture the vacant Philippine Boxing Federation featherweight title on Sunday night at the CCDC gym in La Trinidad, Benguet. Natuplag was declared the winner via technical knockout when Pena's corner decided to stop the fight right after the end of the seventh round.

Natuplag vs Pena served as the main course for the boxing event dubbed Highland Brawl 2: War in the North. The stacked card also featured five supporting professional bouts and nine amateur fights. The event is part of the official activities for the month-long Adivay Festival.

With the victory, Natuplag improves his record to 6 wins, 0 loses, and 1 draw. On the other hand, Pena drops to 27 wins, 28 losses, and 5 draws. Below is an updated list of the results of the matches during the event.

Main Event
KJ “El Matumbo” Natuplag (Ifugao) vs. Danilo Pena (Paranaque City), TKO Round 7 for Natuplag, 126lbs, PBF Featherweight title

Supporting Bouts
1. Jules Victoriano (Baguio City) vs. Juanito Paredes (Metro Manila), Unanimous Decision for Victoriano, 126 lbs | Featherweight bout
2. Brian Lobetania (La Trinidad, Benguet) vs. Jayson Nicart (Bacoor City), TKO Round 4 for Lobetania, 108lbs | Light Flyweight bout
3. Enrique Magsalin (Baguio City) vs. Romeo Tenorio (Sarangani) Split Draw, 109lbs | Catch weight bout
4. Orlandino Sinaloba (La Trinidad) vs. Bryan Padolina (Bacoor City) Majority Decision for Sinaloba, 122lbs |Super Bantamweight bout
5. Kathleen Papti-e (Itogon, Benguet) vs. Renalyn Dacquel (Abra) TKO RD 1 for Dacquel, 114lbs| Super Flyweight (Women’s Division)

Amateur Bouts
1. Esli Dhon Saclag (Kalinga) vs. Jonathan Soriano (Baguio City) 40 kg Draw
2. Chris Caday (Buguias) vs. Hope Ignas (Atok) 55 kgs TKO Round 2 for Ignas
3. Gilbert Dionisio (La trinidad) vs. Eugene Tuguinay (Itogon) 49kgs Unanimous Decision for Gilbert Dionisio
4. Jones Catalino (Buguias) vs. Mark Autida (La Trinidad) 52kgs Unanimous Decision for Mark Autida
5. MJ Uduna (Ifugao) vs. Roy Domigsi (La Trinidad) 60kgs TKO RD 2 for MJ Uduna
6. Andrea Cola (Italy) vs. Judy Kimpa-oy (La trinidad) 72 kgs TKO RD 2 for Andrea Cola
7. Zak Kaiser Moga (Itogon) vs. Chim Apopot (Kibungan) 58kgs Chim Apopot Winner
8. Christopher Miguel (Tuba) vs. Bradley Delmas (La Trinidad) 55 kg TKO RD 1 for Miguel
9. Bryan Caw-as (Kapangan) vs. Jeffrey Kimpa-oy (La Trinidad) 67kg Unanimous Decision for Caw-as

Natuplag (right) and Pena (left) during the weigh-in. Photo credit: Winston Gonzalo from the Highland Brawl Facebook page.

3 Team Lakay MMA Fighters Score Victories In ONE Championship: Heroes Of The World

Three homegrown mixed martial arts fighters under the Team Lakay banner - Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario and Joshua Pacio - scored impressive victories at the ONE Championship: Heroes of the World event which was held last night (August 13) at the Cotai Arena in Macau, China. In thoroughly dismantling Adrian Pang of Papua New Guinea, Folayang sent the message that he should be considered as a serious threat to the promotion's lightweight division which has been ruled by Shinya Aoki of Japan for the last three years. For his part, Banario continues his dramatic resurgence by grinding out a win over Eddie Ng of Malaysia. And last but not the least, Pacio proved once again that ONE Championship made the right call in signing him up by notching a submission victory over Kritsada Kongsrichai of Thailand.

Eduard Folayang vs Adrian Pang
This was a match-up between a striker (Folayang) and a grappler (Pang). What's interesting about the resulting clash was the fact that for most of the fight, Folayang dominated both the striking and grappling exchanges. The Team Lakay fighter mixed up his offense with kicks, jabs, and spinning back elbows. He was even able to pull off a perfect judo throw. Folayang was able to take Pang to the mat a few times to unleash his own version of ground-and-pound. Not Tito Ortizque in delivery but enough to cause damage and score points. Pang had his moments but never in the duration of the fight did he push Folayang into dangerous waters. With the win, Folayang is a step closer towards the golden opportunity: the chance to challenge Shinya Aoki for the ONE Championship lightweight title.

Honorio Banario vs Eddie Ng
Banario's stint in ONE Championship is weird, for lack of a better word. He took home the ONE Championship featherweight belt when he defeated fellow Cordilleran Eric Kelly in 2013. He lost the belt a few months later to Koji Oishi of Japan. He then lost four fights in a row (five if you include the one when he lost the belt). Banario started his resurgence early this year with a hard-fought victory over Vaughn Donayre. With his win over Ng last night, Banario has shown that he isn't yet ready to be counted out. It was a gritty tussle with both combatants nearly gassing out in the second round. Going into the third round, the big question was which of the two fighters has more left in the tank. Banario did and he even scored a knockdown. However, Banario has a lot of miles to go if he's planning to make another run for the featherweight title. This is considering the fact that the featherweight division is stacked with talented murderers, a bunch of whom was responsible for Banario's losing streak in 2013 to 2015.

Joshua Pacio vs Kritsada Kongsrichai
Pacio had a rough start in this fight. Kongsrichai was able to tie him up and drag him to the mat quite a few times. Every time the two fighters get on a clinch, Pacio was always getting the losing end of the stick. The tide of the fight changed during the last minutes of the fight when Pacio scored a takedown, took a full mount, unleashed his ground-and-pound, took Kongsrichai's back, and went for a rear-naked choke. With the win, Pacio extends his undefeated record to eight wins.

ONE Championship

The main event of the evening was a flyweight showdown between Adriano Moraes of Brazil and Tilek Batyrov of Kyrgyztan. At stake was the ONE Championship interim flyweight belt. Moraes's took home the bacon via submission in the second round.

Joshua Pacio Of Team Lakay Wins Bout In China; Extends Winning Streak To Eight

He had a rough start but he got the job done. Joshua Pacio, a mixed martial arts fighter under the Team Lakay banner, struggled in the first minutes of his fight against Thailand's Kritsada Kongsrichai at the Cotai Arena in Macao, China on Saturday evening (August 13). He was taken down to the mat several times and he was losing the exchanges every time the two combatants go to a clinch. But with under a minute remaining in the first round, Pacio was able to secure a takedown and that was the beginning of the end for the Thai fighter. While on a full mount, Pacio unleashed some vicious ground and pound which prompted Kongsrichai to try and wriggle his way out. Pacio saw his opportunity, took Kongsrichai's back, and went for a rear-naked choke.

With the win, the 20-year-old Pacio extends his winning streak to eight. Turning pro in 2013, Pacio is yet to be beaten inside the MMA cage. His fight with Kongsrichai is his second outing in the ONE Championship promotion. He debuted in the promotion in April of this year, notching a TKO victory over fellow Filipino Rabin Catalan.

Pacio vs. Kongsrichai was on the undercard of ONE Championship 45: Heroes of the World. Two other Team Lakay fighters - Honorio Banario and Eduard Folayang - were also featured in the card. The event was headlined by a flyweight showdown between Brazil's Adriano Moraes and Kyrgyztan's Tilek Batyrov.

With two wins under his belt, Pacio is now a serious contender in the ONE Championship's strawweight division which currently has Yoshitaka Naito as the champion. Naito got the belt from Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke in May of this year.

Cordilleran MMA Fighter Eric Kelly To Headline "Dynasty Of Champions" In China

Eric Kelly, a mixed martial arts fighter who hails from the town of Kapangan in Benguet, will fly to China before this month ends, to acclimate in preparation for his July 2 fight against Jadamba Narantungalag (a solidly-built warrior from Mongolia) at the Hefei Olympic Sports Centre. The two combatants will be the main event of a stacked fight card dubbed Dynasty of Champions. A win in the highly-anticipated bout will propel the victor a step closer towards the jackpot - a chance to wrest the ONE Championship featherweight belt currently wrapped around the waist of a scary Russian submission specialist named Marat Gafurov.

This contest is a must-win for Kelly and he has to win convincingly if he wants to be considered for that elusive title shot. This is even more highlighted by the fact that Kelly lost his last fight. He was submitted via a guillotine choke by Ev Ting last January. Prior to the loss against Ting, Kelly gathered three straight wins over Jianbo Lu, Rob Lisita, and Hiroshige Tanaka. Had he won the bout against Ting, it would have been very difficult for the ONE Championship to deny him a title shot. It's worth mentioning here that Kelly was once considered to fight Narantungalag for the title but things didn't go as planned.

Narantungalag ended up losing his belt in his first defense against Marat Gafurov. The tough Mongolian quickly rebounded with a good win over Kotetsu Boku. Gafurov is currently not penciled for an upcoming fight so there's a chance that the winner between Kelly and Narantungalag could get another go at the title. The ONE Championship featherweight division is a thin one. There are only a few names on the division who could be named as contenders. They include Ting and Rob Lisita.

ONE Championship

The other bouts in the card are as follows: Li Kai Wen vs Keanu Subba, Aleksei Butorin vs Aung La N Sang, Ze Wu vs Xiaoliang Zheng, Roger Huerta vs Ariel Sexton, Ann Osman vs Haiat Farag Youssef, Zhang You Liang vs Tang Ren Xing, Wan Jian Ping vs Bu Huo You Ga, and Li Hao Jie vs Maimai Tituo Heti.

5 Team Lakay Fighters Win Their Bouts In One Championship: Global Rivals

Team Lakay went five for five when fighters from the famed gym competed in One Championship: Global Rivals at the Mall of Asia Arena on April 15. In the co-main event of the evening, Geje Eustaquio notched a win over Gianni Subba of Malaysia via unanimous decision. The two fighters battled it out for the full three rounds. With the win, Eustaquio is one step closer to taking another shot at the One Championship flyweight belt which is currently held by Kairat Akhmetov. Eustaquio once fought for the title against Adriano Moraes in 2014 but lost via submission.

Honorio Banario decisioned fellow Filipino Vaughn Donayre to put himself back in the winning column. Prior to the win over Donayre, Banario lost five bouts in a row. Banario was proclaimed the One Championship featherweight champion in 2013 after a win over Eric Kelly. He lost the belt to Koji Oishi, lost again in the rematch, and lost three more times after that. With the victory over Donayre, Banario improves his record to nine wins and six losses.

April Osenio scored her first MMA victory by submitting Natalie Gonzales Hills in the first round. Osenio made her MMA debut for One Championship last year and lost by submission to Kirstie Gannaway.

Two young prospects from Team Lakay made their One Championship debut in the event and both delivered with technical knockout wins. Joshua Pacio took out Rabin Catalan in the second round while Danny Kingad only took a round to put away Muhamad Haidar.

One Championship

Mark Eddiva Of Team Lakay Loses Via Submission In Brisbane, Australia

Victory remains elusive for Mark Eddiva. The mixed martial arts fighter from Team Lakay lost his third fight in a row when he got submitted by Dan Hooker in the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Hunt vs Mir last March 19 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre in Brisbane, Australia. Eddiva tapped out just a minute and a half through the first round after getting caught in a guillotine choke.

Eddiva was the underdog going into the fight. The exchange was pretty even until Eddiva went for a high single-leg takedown. With his back pushed against the cage wall, Hooker saw Eddiva's open neck and quickly wrapped his arms around it. The two fighters dropped to the ground and Hooker ended up in full mount with the guillotine choke still in place. Eddiva tried to wriggle his way out of it to no avail. He tapped out at the 1:24 mark in the first round.

The loss is Eddiva's third loss in a row. He previously lost to Edimilson Souza and Levan Makashvili. With the loss, his record drops to six wins and three losses. Hooker improves his to thirteen wins and six losses.

A day after the loss, Eddiva thanked his fans and supporters through his Facebook page, He wrote: "I did not win today but I won lessons that I won't get from winning.Thanks for all the prayers and the support even after the fight. Priceless. God is good all the time. We are safe and I got no injuries."

Edward Kelly Of Team Lakay Submits Australian Foe In ONE Championship: Union Of Warriors

Edward Kelly is back in the winning column. After getting stopped in November last year by Martin Nguyen, Kelly bounced back with an impressive victory on Friday night against his Aussie foe Jordan Lucas. The two fought in the undercard of ONE Championship: Union of Warriors, an event held at the Thuwunna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, Myanmar.

Before submitting Lucas with a rear-naked choke in the very first round, Kelly had to survive the aggressive onslaught of the young Aussie fighter. Lucas took down Kelly in the first few seconds of the fight, mounted him, and rained down punches and elbows. Kelly was able to make his way back up only to be taken down again to the mat. Kelly managed to reverse the position but wasn't able to do much damage.

Back on their feet again, Lucas attempted another takedown. Right there, Kelly saw his chance and immediately wrapped his arms around the Aussie's neck. Lucas had no choice but to tap out. With the victory, Kelly improves his record to seven wins and three losses. The loss is Lucas's first in nine professional fights.

Edward Kelly is the younger brother of Eric Kelly, also a mixed martial artist fighting under ONE Championship. Eric is scheduled to lock horns with Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in ONE Championship: Global Rivals this coming April 15th at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Also fighting in the Global Rivals card are Geje Eustaquio, Honorio Banario, April Osenio, and Danny Kingad. All four fighters hail from the Team Lakay gym.

Edward Kelly tightening his grip on Jordan Lucas enroute to his rear-naked submission victory. ONE Championship

5 Cordilleran MMA Fighters Set To Compete In One Championship: Global Rivals

The Cordillera region continues to build its reputation as a breeding ground for professional mixed martial arts fighters with the addition of five local talents to the under-card of ONE Championship: Global Rivals. This is an event put together by ONE Championship, the biggest and most influential mixed martial arts promotion company in Asia. It will be held on April 15, 2016 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Of the five Cordillerans in the card, four are fighters from Team Lakay (Danny Kingad, April Osenio, Honorio Banario, Geje Eustaquio) and one is from Pinoy Top Team (Eric Kelly).

Geje Eustaquio, who is coming off a knockout win over Saiful Merican last January, will face Gianni Suba of Malaysia in the flyweight division. This is a must-win fight for Eustaquio if he plans on working his way back to the ONE Championship flyweight belt. It can be recalled that Eustaquio challenged Adriano Moraes for the title back in 2014 but he got submitted in the second round. Interestingly enough, Moraes is no longer the champion as he was decisioned by Kairat Akhmetov in November of 2015. Eustaquio's next opponent Subba is the less experienced fighter between the two but he has only been defeated once and he is currently riding a four-fight winning streak.

Eric Kelly will share the cage with Timofey Nastyukhin of Russia in the featherweight division. The two fighters share something in common. They are both coming off nasty losses in fights that would've set them up for title contention in the event that they won. Kelly lost by submission to Ev Ting. Nastyukhin lost to Herbert Burns, also by submission. Whoever wins in their upcoming fight will put himself back in the choices for title contention. The belt is currently held by Marat Gafurov of Russia.

Honorio Banario, the former ONE Championship featherweight champion, is in a do-or-die situation. He has lost five bouts in a row. Two by knockout and two by submission. At 26 years old, he is still young and has a lot of ground ahead of him but six losses in a row would be a bitter pill to swallow. If it's any consolation, he'll be facing fellow Filipino Vaughn Donayre, another fighter who's been on a downward spiral lately. Donayre has lost four of his last five fights.

April Osenio, a native of Kapangan, Benguet will be taking on Natalie Gonzales Hills in the atomweight division for her second MMA fight. Osenio made her MMA debut last year and lost to Kirstie Gannaway via submission. Her opponent, Hills, is more experienced with five professional bouts under her belt (2 wins, 3 losses).

Danny Kingad, a neophyte in the game with just one professional fight, will face off with Muhamad Haidar of Malaysia. Haidar will be making his MMA debut.

ONE Championship: Global Rivals will be headlined by a battle between Ben Askren and Nikolay Aleksakhin for the ONE Championship welterweight belt. Askren, the champion, will be defending his belt for the second time.

For information on how to watch the fight, go to http://www.onefc.com/livestream.

Mark Eddiva Of Team Lakay To Fight Daniel Hooker Of New Zealand In UFC Return

To put himself back into the winning column. This would be the goal of Mark Eddiva when he flies to Brisbane, Australia this coming March for his return fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Eddiva was victorious in his UFC debut against Jumabieke Tuerxun in March of 2014. He then lost his two succeeding fights. A technical knockout loss to Edimilson Souza in May 2014 and a split decision loss to Levan Makashvili in May 2015.

Eddiva has been penciled to share the Octagon with New Zealand-native Daniel Hooker. Hooker has a record of two wins and two losses in the UFC. His most recent outing under the promotion was a losing effort against Yair Rodriguez in the undercard of Daniel Cormier vs. Alexander Gustafsson (October 3, 2015).

Experience-wise, Hooker has the advantage. Although he turned professional three years later than Eddiva, he has notched more fights. His record currently stands at 12 wins and 6 losses. Eddiva's record is 6 wins and 2 losses. Hooker also possesses significant height and reach advantages over Eddiva. He is 9 centimeters taller and his reach is 17 centimeters longer.

Eddiva trains under the Team Lakay banner. Hooker, on the other hand, trains at Elevation Fight Team, the same training ground for big UFC names like TJ Dillashaw, Brandon Thatch, Neil Magny, and Matt Brown.

Hooker told Sports Rants that he expects to dominate the Filipino fighter. "Have you ever tried to fight your big brother?! That’s how I see this fight playing out. I see myself beating him to the punch, bullying him in the grapple and squeezing the life out of him, “big brother style”", Hooker told the sports news website. He also posted on his Facebook page that the fight won't go past the first round.

UFC Fight Night: Brisbane will be headlined by a heavyweight match between Frank Mir and Mark Hunt. The event will be held on March 20 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Also in the card are Hector Lombard vs Neil Magny, Ross Pearson vs Abel Trujillo, Seo Hee Ham vs Bec Rawlings, James Te Huna vs Steve Bosse, Brendan O'Reilly vs Alan Jouban, Daniel Kelly vs Antonio Carlos Jr., Jake Matthews vs Johnny Case, Richard Walsh vs Viscardi Andrade, and Chad Laprise vs Alan Patrick Silva Alves.

Kevin Belingon Of Team Lakay Unsuccessful In Bid To Capture ONE Championship Bantamweight Crown

One round. That's all that Bibiano Fernandez of Brazil needed to retain his ONE Championship bantamweight belt last Saturday night when he faced Kevin Belingon of the Philippines in the main event of ONE Championship 37: Dynasty of Champions at the Helong Stadium in Changsha, China. Belingon, who trains and fights under the Team Lakay banner, was forced to tap out with one minute remaining in the first stanza. As to the victorious Brazilian, the win marks his fourth successful defense of his crown.

When the bell rang to signal the start of the fight, the Brazilian champion threw a low kick which the Filipino challenger tried to counter with a straight power punch. Belingon missed his mark which eventually turned into a nightmare because when he over-extended with the punch, it placed him in close proximity with Fernandez. The intelligent grappler that he is, Fernandez saw his chance and he immediately went for a takedown and successfully got it.

Aside from the instance wherein Belingon momentarily got back to his feet (only to be taken down again), Fernandez dominated the contest. Fernandez smothered Belingon with a steady diet of transitions and top control. Realizing that he probably wouldn't be able to finish Belingon in the center of the ring, the champion slowly dragged the challenger towards the cage wall. It paid off very well because it offered him more control with the challenger pressed to the wall. Fernandez went for an arm-bar, turned it into a kimura, and forced Belingon to tap out. With the win, Fernandez improves to 19 wins and 3 losses while Belingon drops to 13 wins and 5 losses.

The loss once again highlights  what is widely considered as the Achilles heel of fighters coming from Team Lakay. Their wrestling and grappling skills are still not at par with the top opposition out there. They need a lot of improvement when it comes to their takedown defense. Grappling is a huge facet of mixed martial arts. Fernandez is a master of it and he trains with some of the best fighters in the planet like Demetrious Johnson who is considered by a lot of observers in the sport as the top pound for pound MMA fighter today. Beating Fernandez would be a tall order. Belingon tried and gave it his best but it's obvious that the disparity in their grappling skills was what caused him the fight.

In other news, three Cordilleran mixed martial artists will be entering the ONE Championship cage next week in the promotion's next event dubbed ONE Championship 38: Clash of Heroes. The event will be held at the Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on January 29. The main event will be a tussle between Eric Kelly of Baguio City and Ev Ting of Malaysia. Two Team Lakay fighters - Eduard Folayang and Geje Eustaquio - will also be seeing action in the same event. Folayang will lock horns with Tetsuya Yamada of Japan while Eustaquio will face Saiful Merican of Malaysia.

Kevin Belingon Of Team Lakay To Challenge Bibiano Fernandez For ONE Championship's Bantamweight Title

If things go according to plan, a fighter from Team Lakay will be holding a championship belt before this month ends. But achieving such a feat won't be a walk in the park. Kevin Belingon, one of the most recognizable fighters in Team Lakay's roster, is set to lock horns with Bibiano Fernandez of Brazil on January 23 at the Helong Stadium in Changsha, Hunan, China. The two bantamweights will be headlining the event dubbed ONE Championship: Dynasty of Champions.

At stake will be the Brazilian's championship strap which he won in 2013 and successfully defended four times against top contenders. Fernandez is a complete fighter who can be comfortable whether a fight remains standing or goes to the ground. In 21 professional fights, Fernandez has lost only thrice, two of which came very early in his career. He doesn't have much of a punching power - only two of his eighteen wins were via knockouts - but he's very creative inside the cage.

Without a doubt, Belingon can punch much harder than Fernandez. His three knockout wins in the ONE Championship are among the best that the young promotional company has ever seen. Needless to say, Belingon's best chance in overcoming the champion is to keep the fight standing and hope that one of his powerful kicks and punches makes its mark and puts the Brazilian to sleep.

Belingon will surely fly into China as a huge underdog. This shouldn't come as a surprise. He is the challenger and his stint inside ONE Championship has been unstable at best. He fought eight times under the promotion. He won four and lost the rest. Fernandez, on the other hand, fought six times in the promotion. He won them all.

Fernandez also has experience on his side. He has 21 professional fights compared to Belingon's 17. Fernandez and Belingon share four common previous opponents in ONE Championship - Koetsu Okazaki, Soo Chul Kim, Masakatsu Ueda, and Dae Hwan Kim. Fernandez has defeated all four fighters while Belingon has defeated only one. He lost to the other three. MMA math isn't always accurate but you can gauge the difference between the two fighters' skill set by looking into how they fared in common opponents.

The complete fight card for ONE Championship: Dynasty of Champions is as follows:
8. Bibiano Fernandez vs Kevin Belingon
7. Li Kai Wen vs Yang Sen
6. Muin Gafurov vs Toni Tauru
5. Asuka Mikami vs Roy Doliguez
4. Ming Yen Sung vs Su Noto
3. Tang Da Fen vs Zhou Biao
2. Wu Ting Shen vs Ma Hao Bin
1. Bu Hou You Xia vs Cai Chang Bo

Team Lakay's Honorio Banario Loses Via Submission In One Championship: Tigers Of Asia

The night turned out to be very short for Honorio Banario when he climbed into the ring to fight Malaysia's Ev Ting in the under-card of One Championship: Tigers of Asia last Friday night at the Stadium Putra in Kuala Lumpur. The Team Lakay fighter succumbed to Ting's grappling game in the very first minute of the first round.

The moment the opening bell rang, Banario and Ting exchanged kicks and punches at the center of the ring. Banario quickly went for a takedown and got it but Ting successfully used the fence to get back to his feet. Ting was able to get off the fence and escape Banario's pressure.

Back at the center of the ring, the two fighters exchanged blows momentarily before Banario went for another takedown. He got the takedown but unfortunately for him, Ting has already locked his arms around his neck on the way down. Unable to escape the guillotine choke, Banario was forced to tap out.

This is Banario's fifth loss in a row. Banario momentarily held the One Championship's featherweight belt in 2013. He lost the belt in his first defense against Japan's Koji Oishi. Banario has been winless since then. He lost the rematch with Oishi, then to Jadamba Narantungalag, Herbert Burns, and then Ting.

Image source: One Championship via Facebook.

Eric Kelly, a fighter with Cordilleran roots just like Banario, also fought in the event. Kelly engaged Japan's Hiroshige Tanaka for three rounds and emerged with a unanimous decision victory. With the win, Kelly improves his chances of fighting for the organization's featherweight belt which is currently held by Jadamba Narantungalag of Mongolia. For the complete list of results from the event which was headlined by a match-up between Irina Mazepa and Ann Osman, go here.