Danny Kingad of Team Lakay Advances to the Finals of the One Championship Flyweight Grand Prix

Danny Kingad of Team Lakay is one fight away from winning the One Championship Flyweight World Grand Prix. He came away with the victory over Reece McLaren of Australia in a hard-fought encounter at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on Friday night. The bout with McLaren was a semifinal bout in the tournament.

Kingad will be facing the winner in the other semifinal bout between Demetrious Johnson and Tatsumitsu Wada.  Kingad advanced to the semifinals with a win over Andrew Leone. For his part, Johnson advanced to the semifinal with a win over Yuya Wakamatsu.

Photo: One Championship

With the victory over McLaren, Kingad extends his winning streak to 6. He only lost once in his professional career. He was submitted in 2017 by Adriano Moraes, the reigning One Championship flyweight titleholder.

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).

Harold Banario Of Team Lakay Makes Successful Comeback With Impressive Submission Victory

Harold Banario, a young prospect who fights under the Team Lakay banner, has been inactive for nearly four years. His last mixed martial arts fight was way back in June of 2015 where he was knocked out by Mark Abelardo in the second round.

Tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Banario redeemed himself with an impressive victory over Ariel Oliveros with a submission in the very first round.

Banario and Oliveros locked horns in the undercard of a Brave Combat Federation event dubbed Storm of Warriors. Banario entered the cage with a record of 4 wins and 1 loss. His opponent Oliveros had a record of 3 wins and 3 losses.

Banario surprised Oliveros by going for a takedown right off the bat. Banario got the takedown and quickly went to work on a leg lock. Oliveros tapped seconds later.

This is Banario's debut in the Brave Combat Federation promotion. He is the younger brother of Honorio Banario, another Team Lakay standout who fights for One Championship.

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.

Danny Kingad Of Team Lakay To Face Chinese Foe In One Championship

At only 21 years old, Danny Kingad of Team Lakay is on the cusp of fighting for the One Championship's flyweight strap. The young prospect is scheduled to see action at the GOR Kertajaya Arena in Indonesia on July 29 in an event dubbed One Championship: Conquest of Kings.

Kingad will be sharing the cage with Hexi Getu, a 32-year-old sanda practitioner from Inner Mongolia, China. Given the fact that One Championship's flyweight division is rather thin, a win over Hexi Getu will likely propel Kingad closer to a title shot.

Kingad is expected to be the favorite to win on fight night. Although he has less fights compared to Hexi Getu, he has faced much tougher opponents. Kingad has a record of 5 wins and 0 losses. Three of these wins were in the One Championship.

Hexi Getu, on the other hand, has 4 wins and 2 losses. This is his record as seen on the Tapology website. Sherdog, a more reputable website, lists 2 losses and 0 wins for the fighter. Sherdog didn't include Hexi Getu's victories, all of which occurred in the Dacheng Wuyi promotion.

Danny Kingad (right) lands a kick on Muhammad Aiman (left) during their encounter at One Championship: Kings of Destiny last April. Image credit: One Championship.

Conquest of Kings will be headlined by a rematch between Kairat Akhmetov (the reigning One Championship flyweight champion) and Adriano Moraes (the interim champion). The two fought in November of 2015. Akhmetov emerged as the winner via split decision.

Due to Akhmetov's inactivity after his win, One Championship proclaimed Moraes as the interim titleholder after victories over Eugene Toquero and Tilek Batyrov. Whoever wins this match could be a future opponent for Kingad.

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.

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.

Policeman From Kapangan, Benguet Knocks Out Opponent In MMA Fight

Crisanto Pitpitunge, a policeman hailing from the town of Kapangan in Benguet, continues to make his mark as a professional mixed martial arts fighter. In his most recent outing inside the ring last Saturday at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, he made quick work of his opponent. He knocked out Alvin Cacdac of California in the very first round of their scheduled five-round fight for Pacific Xtreme Combat 48 (PXC 48).

The winner of the encounter was supposed to go home with the Pacific Xtreme Combat flyweight championship belt. Cacdac who won the belt when he bested Ernesto Montilla last year was supposed to defend it against Pitpitunge who earned the number one contender spot after wins over Josh Duenas and Rambaa Somdet.

Unfortunately, the bout was turned into a non-title fight when both fighters missed weight. Cacdac was also stripped of the strap prior to the bout. The weight limit for the flyweight division is penciled at 125 pounds. At the official weigh-ins, Cacdac weighed in at 127 pounds while Pitpitunge tipped the scales at 126 pounds. The bout still pushed through but with the flyweight title out of contention.

Pitpitunge who fights under the Team Lakay banner ended the fight late in the first round with two vicious right hands. He dropped Cacdac with a looping overhand right which landed flash on the head. He followed it up with another right hand which flattened Cacdac on the mat. The referee stepped in to put an end to the fight and save Cacdac from unnecessary punishment.

With the victory, Pitpitunge improves his record to 8 wins and 3 losses. He's currently on a three-fight winning streak. Cacdac, on the other hand, falls to 15 wins and 11 losses.

Aside from being a professional MMA fighter, Pitpitunge also serves as a cop in Benguet. He is assigned at the Regional Public Safety Battalion.

Alvin Cacdac (left) and Crisanto Pitpitunge in a striking match. Image credit: PXC via Facebook.

Two other Team Lakay fighters also fought during the event. John Cris Corton finished Rufino Mante in the first round via TKO. He put Mante on the mat, took a dominant position, and struck with his elbows which led to the TKO stoppage. On the other hand, Harold Banario had his four-fight winning streak broken after losing to Mark Abelardo via TKO.

Mark Eddiva Of Team Lakay Outwrestled By Opponent In UFC Fight

Last Saturday night at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Mark Eddiva came up short against Levan Makashvili of the United States. The two fought in the undercard of UFC Fight Night Manila. The story of the fight was all about the latter's wrestling pedigree. Eddiva spent most of his time defending against takedowns and trying to figure out how to close the distance and land his strikes without being dragged to the mat.

Style-wise it was a bad match-up for the Team Lakay fighter. Eddiva is a striker. Makashvili (at least the version of himself who showed up at the Mall of Asia Arena) is a wrestler. It's possible that Makashvili's wrestling-based approach against Eddiva was a calculated move because if you watch most of his previous fights, he was a striker more than a wrestler. Eddiva himself admitted during an interview that he was surprised Makashvili preferred to wrestle more than strike with him.

If indeed this was the case, then Makashvili and his team deserve a thumbs up for a game-plan they planned and executed very well. Eddiva made the fight competitive but at the end of the day, it was Makashvili's wrestling that determined who won the fight. Throughout the duration of the three-round bout, Makashvili was able to score several takedowns by either slamming Eddiva to the mat or dragging him down using the fence as leverage.

Eddiva had his moments when the fight was on their feet. Right off the bat, he started throwing leg kicks with bad intentions. Most of these, however, hit nothing but air as Makashvili quickly moved out of the way whenever Eddiva throws a kick.

Eddiva has decent takedown defense but this wasn't enough to ward off Makashvili's persistent attempts to drag him to the ground. Eddiva even looked like he was the stronger fighter as he was able to muscle Makashvili whenever the latter goes for a clinch. The difference was Makashvili's better wrestling technique during a clinch. Thus he was able to either slam or drag Eddiva to the mat.

With the loss, Eddiva's record drops down to 6 wins and 2 losses. Both losses are in the UFC. Makashvili, on the other hand, improves his record to 7 wins and 1 loss. His tussle with Eddiva was his debut in the UFC. He was also a late replacement for Alex White who pulled out of his scheduled bout with Eddiva after suffering an injury.

Eddiva wasn't the only Team Lakay fighter to see action that night. His team-mate RoldanSangcha-an fought Jon Delos Reyes of Guam in an exciting encounter which earned the honors as the Fight of the Night. Delos Reyes submitted Sangcha-an in the second round via a rear-naked choke. For their performance, both fighters were awarded $50,000 each as bonuses on top of what was promised them in entering the Octagon.

UFC Fight Night Manila was headlined by a featherweight showdown between Uriah Faber and Frankie Edgar. The latter took home the victory.

Igorot Fighter Loses UFC Fight But Wins Over 2 Million Pesos For His Gutsy Performance

In the mixed martial arts world, a fighter doesn't get rewarded for losing. However, if the fighter lost the fight by giving it his all and in the process giving the fans what they wanted to see, it could mean a jolly trip to the bank.

Roldan Sangcha-an, a standout fighter from Team Lakay, did lose last Saturday night when he faced Jon Delos Reyes of Guam at the Mall of Asia Arena in the undercard of UFC Fight Night Manila. He was submitted via a rear-naked choke in the second round. But before the fight-ending choke came, Sangcha-an gave the Guamanian hell.

When the bell was rung to signal the commencement of the first round, Sangcha-an immediately pushed forward, pressing Delos Reyes to the fence and mixing it up with strikes. He then took Delos Reyes to the ground but the latter reversed the position. A grappling match ensued as Delos Reyes tried several times to submit Sangcha-an with chokes and arm bars.

Sangcha-an was able to wither the storm and reverse the position. The fighters returned to their feet. Sangcha-an got hold of Delos Reyes's hands during a clinch and was able to push him to the ground where he attempted an unconventional submission maneuver. He was unsuccessful. The two ended the first round on their feet. It was a close round but it was a clear Delos Reyes round.

The second round was more thrilling than the first as the two fighters tried to knock each other out with power punches. Sangcha-an landed one that sent Delos Reyes to the canvas, Showing determination, Delos Reyes got back up to his feet and another striking battle ensued.

An accidental headbutt cut open a nasty gash over Delos Reyes's right eye, bathing his face with blood. Delos Reyes knocked down Sangcha-an and this marked the beginning of the end for the Cordilleran fighter. Aside from the momentary halting of the fight to allow Delos Reyes to have his cut checked by the ringside doctor, the remainder of the fight was all Delos Reyes. He took Sangcha-an's back and relentlessly pursued a submission which he eventually got when Sangcha-an finally tapped out.

The tussle was awarded the Fight of the Night. For their gutsy performances, Delos Reyes and Sangcha-an received $50,000 each as bonus. In Philippine pesos, that's roughly about 2.2 million. This is on top of the money promised to them when they singed up to fight in the event.

This was the second time that Sangcha-an fought for the UFC. His first outing for the company was a losing effort to Richie Vaculik in New Zealand last year in the undercard of UFC Fight Night: Te Huna Vs. Marquardt.

Roldan Sangcha-an at the official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night Manila.

Another Team Lakay fighter saw action during the event. Mark Eddiva fought Levan Makashvili and lost via split decision. It was Eddiva's third fight in the UFC and his second loss under the company.

UFC Fight Night Manila was headlined by a featherweight showdown between Uriah Faber and Frankie Edgar which the latter handily won via a unanimous decision verdict. Fil-Am Mark Munoz also appeared in the card for his last fight in the UFC, defeating England's Luke Barnatt by unanimous decision.

Team Lakay Fighters Sangcha-an And Eddiva Make Weight For UFC Fight Night Manila

The official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night Manila is over. And the two fighters from Team Lakay who are part of the undercard successfully made weight. Mark Eddiva weighed in at 145 pounds, the weight limit for the featherweight division. Roldan Sangcha-an weighed in at 126 pounds, the weight limit for the flyweight division.

UFC Fight Night Manila will unfold tonight at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. It will be headlined by a featherweight clash between UFC stars Frankie Edgar and Uriah Faber. Whoever comes out victorious earns a possible shot at the UFC featherweight belt currently held by Jose Aldo of Brazil.

Mark Eddiva hits the scale during the official weigh-in. Image credit: UFC (YouTube)

Eddiva will be facing Levan Makashvili who will be making his UFC debut. Makashvili is a late replacement for Alex White who had to pull out of the fight because of an injury. Eddiva and Makashvili share the same fight record. Both have six wins and a single loss. As far as experience in the UFC is concerned, Eddiva has the advantage as he fought twice in the Octagon. He won his UFC debut in Macau, China then lost his second fight in Brazil.

Sangcha-an, on the other hand, will battle it out with Jon delos Reyes of Guam. The two fighters had already seen action in the UFC but both of them are yet to notch a win. Sangcha-an made his debut for the promotion last year in New Zealand and lost. Delos Reyes's last two fights were in the UFC. He lost both of them.

UFC veteran and Fil-Am Mark Munoz is also seeing action tonight in what will be his last professional MMA outing. He will square off against the dangerous striker Gegard Mousasi.