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The much-awaited debut of Jhanlo Sangiao in ONE Championship is about to become a reality. The Team Lakay protege is slated to go up against Paul Lumihi in the promotion's last fight card for the year in ONE: Winter Warriors II.
Jhanlo, the son of Team Lakay founder Mark Sangiao, is about to fulfill his dream of competing in ONE Championship. 'The Machine' is having mixed feelings heading into his debut fight:
"My emotions are mixed. I’m a little nervous but this is what I have been waiting for since I started training since I was a child watching our senior fighters’ battles. This is my dream and I am very excited," said Sangiao in an online press conference.
His opponent is an Indonesian fighter who owns a professional record of 7-5. Lumihi has been given four fights in ONE Championship and has lost all of them.
Meanwhile, Sangiao is going to be listed as a bantamweight and he has only one professional bout under his name. The match happened back in May 2018 during Team Lakay Championship 15 in Kapangan, Benguet. Sangaio won that debut fight against Danilo Danganan with a first round knockout.
Luckily training with ONE champions
Being the son of Coach Mark Sangiao, Jhanlo grew up watching senior fighters in Team Lakay compete in different matches. He feels lucky to be surrounded by world champions who give him the shortcuts to becoming a good MMA fighter.
"I’m very lucky because I get to train with world champions like Joshua Pacio, Kevin Belingon, Honorio Banario, Eduard Folayang-- everyone is here. In Team Lakay, we help each other. When one has a fight, everyone helps," said Sangiao.
Being named after his father comes with a great amount of pressure and expectation. Knowing this, Sangiao is already trying to shut down the talk heading into this fight and focus on the battle ahead:
"Of course there is pressure because I’m part of one of the biggest gyms in Asia," Sangiao said. "My father is also the coach and so many are expecting that I will do this and that. I will just have to show my talent and what I have been working on since I was a kid."
