5 Filipino MMA fighters leading the charge for Team Lakay in ONE Championship

When people talk about Filipino MMA, especially in ONE Championship, the name Team Lakay always enters the conversation. Team Lakay is hands down the most recognizable martial arts team in the Philippines. They’ve led an Asian MMA uprising for the greater part of the last decade.

The Baguio City-based faction consists of a bevy of talented fighters with a healthy mix of rising stars, experienced veterans, and established world champions. Conceptualized and founded by Filipino MMA pioneer Mark ‘The Machine’ Sangiao more than 10 years ago, the team forged a unique bond between martial artists. The fighters consider themselves closer than brothers.

Throughout the years, the group has produced some incredible martial arts athletes. The most prolific names include multi-time former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard ‘Landslide’ Folayang, former ONE bantamweight world champion Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon, and former ONE flyweight world champion Geje ‘Gravity’ Eustaquio, among others.

However, a new wave of Team Lakay fighters is on the rise. The next generation of Team Lakay MMA stars are blazing a trail through ONE Championship with epic performances in the Circle. These men and women are poised to become superstars in the very near future.

Here are five Filipino MMA fighters leading the charge for Team Lakay in ONE Championship.

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#5. Jenelyn Olsim (MMA: 5-3)

Getting her start on Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series in 2018, female Team Lakay warrior Jenelyn Olsim is one of the most promising atomweight talents in ONE Championship.

Olsim made her debut at ONE Warrior Series 3 against Claudia Diaz, beating the Spanish fighter by decision after three rounds to announce her arrival on the big stage. She would later earn a contract with ONE to fight on the main roster and, from there, Olsim truly began to shine.

Olsim shocked Evolve MMA star Maira Mazar at ONE: Fists of Fury III in March of this year, dominating her strawweight opponent across three rounds and winning via power guillotine.

After that performance, Olsim dropped down to atomweight to take on the highly regarded Bi ‘Killer Bee’ Nguyen. The Team Lakay prospect overcame a spirited effort from Nguyen to defeat the Vietnamese-American via unanimous decision.

The two victories earned Olsim an alternate spot in the prestigious ONE Women’s Atomweight World Grand Prix. Unfortunately, she lost to Indian wrestling champion Ritu Phogat in the semifinal round of the tournament.

However, the loss hasn’t diminished Olsim’s potential, and she remains one of the most promising young stars in Asian MMA today.

#4. Jeremy Pacatiw (MMA: 10-4)

Flyweight MMA phenom Jeremy ‘The Juggernaut’ Pacatiw is one of Team Lakay’s newest additions to ONE Championship. The 25-year-old is a former Brave CF combatant who joined the promotion earlier this year.

Pacatiw is long and athletic and is a very well-rounded fighter. Team Lakay athletes traditionally honed their skills by focusing on a distinct wushu style that’s popular in the Cordilleras. However, ‘The Juggernaut’ is part of the so-called “new breed” of Team Lakay fighters who have trained specifically for MMA and have been able to combine their striking and grappling skills seamlessly.

Pacatiw made his ONE Championship debut last July at ONE: Battleground, where he faced off against China’s ‘The Ghost’ Chen Rui in a flyweight MMA contest. The 25-year-old prospect used constant movement to stifle his opponent. This erratic style makes Pacatiw extremely hard to hit.

Based on what we’ve seen from Pacatiw early on in his ONE Championship stint, ‘The Juggernaut’ has tremendous upside. It will be interesting to see how far he can go in the promotion.

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#3. Jhanlo Sangiao (MMA: 3-0)

Next up is 19-year-old Jhanlo Sangiao, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao’s own son. The Filipino teenage sensation is 3-0 in his career as a professional, and recently joined ONE Championship earlier this year alongside Pacatiw.

He inherits his father’s ‘The Machine’ moniker, but that’s not the full extent of it. Insiders say Jhanlo is the team’s brightest prospect, bringing together all of the team’s strengths such as Kevin Belingon’s thunderous hands, Joshua Pacio’s fight IQ and Eduard Folayang’s heart among others. They say Jhanlo is the prime embodiment of Team Lakay martial arts.

There are certainly lofty expectations surrounding the younger Sangiao’s blossoming MMA career. There’s no doubt a ton of pressure on the kid to perform under the brightest lights in the business.

Jhanlo finally gets the chance to strut his wares this December, when he takes on Indonesian veteran Paul ‘The Great King’ Lumihi at ONE: Winter Warriors in Singapore.

#2. Danny Kingad (MMA: 14-2)

The upper echelon of ONE Championship’s flyweight MMA division is topped by none other than Team Lakay firebrand Danny ‘The King’ Kingad. The 26-year-old former ONE flyweight world title challenger is hands down one of the most talented and skilled fighters on Team Lakay's roster.

Coming from a meager upbringing, Kingad was a troubled youth as a child. He turned to martial arts to escape a life of vices but soon discovered he was a natural-born fighter and quickly turned his passion into a professional career.

Kingad has been with ONE Championship since 2016 and has since amassed a 14-2 professional MMA record. ‘The King’ immediately embarked on a hot streak, taking the flyweight division by storm. His loss to flyweight king Adriano Moraes in 2017 only helped transform Kingad into the monster he is today.

Kingad is currently the No. 2-ranked flyweight MMA contender, just behind the legendary Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson whom he also had the honor of sharing the Circle with in 2019.

Needless to say, Kingad’s future is very bright. He’s back in action at ONE: Winter Warriors II on December 17, headlining the card with No. 4-ranked flyweight Kairat Akhmetov in a highly anticipated clash.

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#1. Joshua Pacio (MMA: 19-3)

Last but not least, is the ultra charismatic reigning ONE strawweight world champion Joshua ‘The Passion’ Pacio. At just 25 years of age, Pacio has reached epic heights. Pacio is already on his second reign as strawweight king, and he’s as dominant as he’s ever been.

That’s not the least bit surprising, considering Pacio has been training in martial arts since he was 12. ‘The Passion’ combines elite-level striking with a robust grappling game to dominate his opponents. He currently boasts an impressive 19-3 professional MMA record, which includes seven knockouts and nine submissions.

Pacio is truly the leader of the Team Lakay pack right now, being the only remaining world champion in the Baguio City stable.

He just recently closed the book on his storied rivalry with Yosuke Saruta last September, winning their trilogy. However, there are a whole host of worthy strawweights waiting to step up to the throne and challenge him.

No matter the opponent, you can be sure Pacio will bring the heat.