Team Lakay, iniaangat na ng Pinay Fighters — Sangiao

ni Gerard Arce - @Sports | August 31, 2021

Nasasabik at natutuwa si Team Lakay founder at head coach Mark “The Machine” Sangiao sa natatamong pansin at pag-angat ng popularidad sa mga lady mixed martial arts fighters lalo na sa pagkakaroon nito ng sariling All-female card na ONE: Empower na gaganapin nitong Biyernes sa Singapore Indoor Stadium sa Singapopre.

Tatlong Filipina ang nakatakdang sumalang sa naturang women’s fight card event na kinabibilangan nina Team Lakay member Jenelyn Olsim, na kagagaling lamang sa isang unanimous decision victory laban kay Vietnamese American Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen sa ONE: Battleground III, kontra kay Grace “Thai Kitten” Cleveland para sa MMA 115-pound alternate bout sa preliminary bouts.

Parte naman ng ONE Atomweight Grand Prix si no.1 contender Denice “Lycan Queen” Zamboanga ng Marrock Force laban naman kay dating UFC fighter at Road FC women’s Atomweight champion “Aracle Chan” Seo Hee Ham ng South Korea.

Makikipagbuntalan naman sa women’s strawweight Muay Thai bout si Fil-American Jackie Buntan kabakbakan si Daniela Lopez ng Spain sa main card event.

“This is a huge thing for combat sports in general. There will be a whole new generation of women that will be inspired to take up this sport,” pahayag ni Sangiao. “The stereotype has always been that combat sports are a sport for men alone, but now they’re gonna be thinking that women can emerge in MMA as well.”

Sinabi ni Sangiao, na minsan na ring nakipagrambulan sa Filipino promotional event na Universal Reality Combat Challenge (URCC) ni Alvin Aguilar, na natutuwa itong dumarami ang mga representanteng Pinay na lumalaban sa MMA.

“Right now, we see a lot of our kababayans emerging. I'm happy that we have a lot of representatives now in the women’s division. It only means that MMA is growing exponentially in this country,” wika ni Sangiao, na umaasang mapapasakamay rin ng Filipina ang titulo ng Grand Prix at mismong pinaka-korona nito. “I’m hoping that it’s a Filipina who emerges as the champion in the Grand Prix. Of course, it’s all about who wants it the most and who prepares for it, but I’m praying that we get it.”