Paul Lumihi reveals "secret weapon" in training camp ahead of Jhanlo Sangiao fight

Paul Lumihi believes his secret weapon throughout his training camp could finally earn him his first win in ONE Championship.

In preparation for his fight against Team Lakay’s young star Jhanlo ‘The Machine’ Sangiao at ONE: Winter Warriors II, Paul Lumihi decided to move his training camp to SOMA Fight Club Bali.

Thankfully for Paul Lumihi, these past few months did not only offer him vital tools and upgrades to take out Sangiao, but they also offered a training resource who stylistically mirrors his 19-year-old foe in terms of movement, style and strengths.

Ahead of the pre-taped fight, scheduled to premiere this Friday, 17 December, Paul Lumihi said in an interview with ONE Championship:

“There is an athlete here [in SOMA] who moves like Jhanlo. He is quite agile and he strikes fast. So, the focus is to anticipate Jhanlo’s movement. That is also why I do more padworks to ensure the positioning is correct to face Jhanlo’s game plan.”

The Canggu-based gym houses several top athletes and fellow ONE Championship stars. However, the chance to spar on a daily basis with someone who supposedly shares the same physical attributes as ‘The Machine’ could prove a valuable asset to Paul Lumihi’s chances of ending his win drought.

It has also given the fighter nicknamed ‘The Great King’ renewed confidence, so much so that Paul Lumihi wants his 19-year-old rival Jhanlo Sangiao to bring the very best version of himself.

Paul Lumihi sent a final message to his Team Lakay exponent ahead of their bantamweight clash at the Singapore Indoor Stadium:

“Give it your best. Why? Because I will throw my best strikes.”

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Paul Lumihi: “Winning is a must!”

Despite pressure mounting on him to earn a victory on the global stage, Paul Lumihi revealed that his team of coaches at the Bali-based gym had not forced him to hunt for a win. If anything, they want their latest student to perform at his level best and, in turn, the win should follow through.

However, given that his rival is fairly new to the sport, Paul Lumihi’s personal ambition and expectation this Friday is to win, regardless of how the match plays out.

“I placed my own target, that I should win. Although they did not put any target or pressure on me to win, I still need to win. Winning is a must! It is time for me to win. That is why I needed this training camp, [and] I trained harder this time."