Jhanlo Mark Sangiao reveals secret weapon of next generation Team Lakay

Jhanlo Mark Sangiao, an undefeated bantamweight MMA prodigy, will soon get another opportunity to display his ever-improving all-around game.

The 20-year-old is currently putting the finishing touches on his fight with Argentine star Matias Farinelli on April 21 at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty on Prime Video, which will air live from Bangkok, Thailand, in American primetime.

The son of the illustrious Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, "The Machine" boasts the signature explosive striking that made his Philippine-based stable a powerhouse on the international stage and once had a significant number of ONE World Champions.

However, Sangiao aims to continue demonstrating that Team Lakay athletes are becoming into truly well-rounded mixed martial artists after earning a pair of first-round submissions to start his own ONE career.

“I know Team Lakay is known for producing some of the best strikers, but slowly, we’re building something else here in this gym. We’re working on our jiu-jitsu, we’re working on our wrestling, and I believe that the next generation of Team Lakay fighters who’ll compete here in ONE will have wrestling and grappling as their bread and butter. However, the striking will always be there. That will always be ingrained within Team Lakay,” he said in an interview with ONE Championship.

Sangiao is leading his team's transition from striking specialists to all-around mixed martial artists from the front with four submission victories overall on his spotless 5-0 record.

But that task will become much more challenging when he faces Farinelli, a true submission expert with a 5-0 record and all five victories coming by submission.

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Sangiao will enter their match with a chip on his shoulder, wanting to prove that the upcoming group of Team Lakay athletes can keep up with anyone on the ground given his opponent's proficiency in the grappling arts.

“I want to continue to prove that we’re more than just strikers, and Farinelli is the perfect opponent for that. We’ve been criticized by fans a lot, saying that we’re only good at striking but totally lacking on the ground. Now I want to prove that it’s different. We’re focusing on wrestling and grappling. The team is inviting a lot of international martial artists, BJJ black belts, Olympic wrestlers, and whatnot, so we’re confident that we can hang with anyone in there from jiu-jitsu, MMA, and striking,” he added.

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