Jhanlo Mark Sangiao will step back into the ring with more than just personal redemption on his mind when he faces Mongolia's Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg at ONE Fight Night 33 on 12 July at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.
The 22-year-old Filipino is preparing to become a father for the first time, a life-changing development that has given new meaning to his comeback after nearly two years away from competition.
Sangiao's last appearance ended in disappointment, suffering his first and only ONE Championship defeat against Mongolian grappler Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu via second-round submission in August 2023.
Now he faces another Mongolian opponent as he looks to get back on track in the bantamweight division.
The news of impending fatherhood caught the son of legendary Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao completely off guard.
"Man, I was so shocked at first. Really shocked, but I am so overjoyed," Sangiao said. "This is the biggest blessing that the Lord has given me in my life. Truly overjoyed."
For a fighter who has shown remarkable composure, finishing all three of his victories by submission, the prospect of becoming a father presents an entirely different type of challenge.
"Fatherhood really makes me more nervous than all my fights combined," he admitted. "Unlike in fights, I haven't trained for this. I haven't prepared for this, and this has such big implications. I'm excited, but I'm also really nervous."
Rather than adding pressure, the responsibility of becoming a family man has served as powerful motivation for Sangiao as he prepares for his return to competition.
"This really pushes me and inspires me to be the best man that I can be," he explained. "Because of that, I want to push myself even harder through fights and make sure that I'm at my best because I'm gonna be leading a family now."
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