BAGUIO CITY December 05 – The local government paid tribute to the five members of Team Lakay and their coach for having snared most of the awards during the Global Martial Arts Awards held last November 8, 2018 at the JW Marriott Hotel in South Beach, Singapore.
Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan and city officials handed to the 5 Team Lakay champions and their coach the approved resolution commending and congratulating them for having garnered the separate awards during the said recognition that continues to bring honor and pride to Baguio City as a home of mixed martial arts champions.
The 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards is an event dedicated to acknowledge the contributions to the immense growth of mixed martial arts and martial arts in general in the world.
Members of the Baguio-based Team Lakay dominated the said event where it was able to bag 4 awards therefore establishing itself as one of the best mixed martial arts stable in the Asia Pacific region.
Reigning ONE Lightweight Champion Edward ‘The Landslide’ Folayang took the prestigious distinction award of the evening as he was crowned the “Martial Arts Hero of the Year,’ a particular honor that recognizes an athlete’s performances inside the octagon ring and his impeccable character outside of it. Folayang has long been considered as the face of Philippine martial arts.
ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “the Passion’ Pacio was able to garner the ‘Submission of the Year Award’ after he displayed his signature ‘passion lock’ after his impressive victory during the first round of his bout over Thailand’s Pongsiri Mitsatit. The notorious ‘passion lock’ a modified kimura was born in ‘the Passion’s; constant pursuit of knowledge.
Coach Mark ‘The Machine’ ‘Sangiao was conferred the ‘Coach of the Year’ award for having been credited as the man behind the Filipino mixed martial arts champions and as a benevolent coach of one of Southeast Asia’s hottest stables wherein he guided multiple Igorot warriors to SEA gold medals in wushu and sees athletics as a path for many of his students in the city to become university educated.
Team Lakay was bestowed the ‘Gymn of the Year’ award in recognition of being a thriving Baguio-based training gymnasium and home of Filipino mixed martial arts champions. The Team Lakay gym bested American Kickboxing Academy, American Top Ten, Evolved MMA, Tiger Muay Thai, Tribe Tokyo MMA and TriStar Gymn for the said award.
The resolution noted that Team Lakay started in 2018 with no world champion but now, it has 3 in ONE flyweight world champion Geje Eustaquio, ONE strawweight world champion Pacio, and ON|E bantamweight world champion Kevin Belingon with the 4th belonging to Folayang.
Brave Hearts bantamweight champion Stephen Luman was also given the recognition by the local government as part of the list of elite world mixed martial arts champions coming from the Cordillera but are based in Baguio city.** Dexter A. See
