Team Lakay patriarch and head coach Mark Sangiao expressed excitement about the upcoming ONE on TNT series this month, which will feature several fights from the famed Benguet stable.
First off for Team Lakay is Lito Adiwang against No. 1 world strawweight Jarred Brooks in ONE on TNT II on April 14 to be followed by Stephen Loman and Eduard Folayang against former UFC fighters John Lineker of Brazil and Yoshihiro Akiyama Japan and Korea, respectively, in ONE on TNT IV on April 28.
"Syempre lalo na’t 'yong exposure natin mas malawak sa ngayon and 'yong mga kalaban natin hindi rin basta-basta. So yon, excited pa rin (Of course especially our exposure will grow and our opponents are top-caliber athletes. I'm excited)," said the 42-year-old Sangiao.
"Excited ako na mapapakita na naman natin, mapapakita ng mga athletes natin ang kakayahan ng mga Filipino in terms of martial arts sa buong mundo (I'm excited to showcase worldwide what Filipinos can do in terms of martial arts)."
ONE Championship is no stranger to staging festive events and delivering mixed martial arts content not only in Asia but also globally.
For Sangiao, being featured in ONE on TNT series is something to look forward to considering that it will be the promotion's "biggest month in history" since its inception in 2011.
Fight fans, especially Americans, are in for a treat when they witness the comeback of ONE pioneers and superstars in Team Lakay, Demetrious Johnson, Eddie Alvarez, Adriano Moraes, Christian Lee, Aung La N Sang, among others in ONE on TNT.
Sangiao is hoping for a sweep following Jenelyn Olsim's recent submission win over No. 5 strawweight contender Maira Mazar of Brazil in her ONE Championship debut.
"For Loman and Lineker, it will be an exciting and bloody match. For Lito and Brooks, same -- knockout. For Eduard and Akiyama, sino ang mas 'sexy'? Syempre si Eduard (For Eduard and Akiyama, who's 'sexier'? Of course, Eduard."
Adiwang, meanwhile, considers the ONE on TNT bout as additional motivation, stressing that it doesn't add any pressure at all.
READ: Adiwang to showcase improved wrestling, classic striking against Brooks
"I know that we got a lot of supporters also in US so extra motivation yon sa akin para to give my best and make sure na mananalo rito (I know we have a lot of supporters in US so that's extra motivation for me to give my best and make sure to win)," said Adiwang, who holds a 12-3 record. (Carlo Anolin) ###