“I wanted to be on that level, or maybe even better and now we’re here” - Jhanlo Sangiao inspired by teammate Kevin Belingon’s powerful striking

Jhanlo Sangiao has been working with his hero since he was a kid.

Growing up in the gym, Jhanlo Sangiao had looked up to his idol and kuya (which means big brother in Tagalog), former ONE bantamweight world champion Kevin ‘The Silencer’ Belingon.

Now in training for his ONE Championship debut, Jhanlo Sangiao has the opportunity to sharpen his tools with the bantamweight superstar.

Sangiao is, of course, the newest member of Team Lakay to make it to ONE Championship. He is the son of the legendary Mark Sangiao, the team’s founder and head coach.

In a recent interview with ONE Championship, Jhanlo Sangiao expressed his excitement on preparing and competing alongside ‘The Silencer’ ahead of his debut match at ONE: Winter Warriors II.

“It’s a fun feeling, working side by side and training along with someone that I really look up to in preparation for our matches. When I was a kid, I was so amazed with Kuya [big brother] Kevin’s striking. I really told myself that I wanted to be on that level, or maybe even better and now we’re here. Now I get to work with him in our training camp and we’ll fly out together cause we’re in the same card.”

Jhanlo Sangiao will face Indonesia’s Paul Lumihi to open the main card of the event, while Belingon will clash with fellow striker Kwon Won Il in the co-main event.

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Kevin Belingon thinks Jhanlo Sangiao is the real deal

Jhanlo Sangiao’s arrival in the promotion is filled with much anticipation owing to his bloodline as well as his team affiliation.

However, Kevin Belingon believes that the young warrior can live up to expectations. The veteran literally saw Jhanlo Sangiao grow up, so he knows first hand what the younger Sangiao is capable of. Belingon spoke highly of him during an interview with ONE Championship:

“He’s really good. He’s strong and I know he has a big chance of becoming a bantamweight world champion in the future because I see the skills and the work ethic in him. I believe he’s a complete fighter. He has different weapons. He can strike and he can beat you up on the ground. He’s confident wherever the fight goes. It’s a big thing that he grew up training with us. He’s always been eager to learn.”

Jhanlo Sangiao has so far proven that he has what it takes to succeed in the sport, dominating all three of his opponents prior to joining ONE. Will he be able to carry his success over to the global stage? Only time will tell.