One Championship: Masters of Fate gives Team Lakay chance for 2019 redemption

It’s fair to say that 2019 hasn’t been kind to Team Lakay.

Heading into January, the Filipino mixed martial arts stable had four world champions. After a tumultuous 10 months they are down to one.

Joshua Pacio will defend his strawweight title at Masters of Fate in Manila on Friday night. But even he lost his belt – to Yosuke Saruta in January – before regaining it in April.

“It’s been a roller coaster for our team. At the end of this year we hope we will regain those losses and prove to the world we’re one of the best,” Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao told the Post.

Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio also lost his flyweight title in January. Kevin Belingon and Eduard Folayang then dropped the bantamweight and lightweight belts, to Bibiano Fernandes and Shinya Aoki respectively, at One: A New Era in Tokyo at the end of March.

Belingon came up short in a bid to regain his title at One: Century in the Japanese capital last month, on a card where Lakay’s Honorio “The Rock” Banario was submitted in the first round by Aoki. Danny Kingad also lost by unanimous decision to Demetrious Johnson in the flyweight grand prix final.

Lakay’s latest defeats prompted One CEO Chatri Sityodtong to leap to their defence on social media, condemning the “online hate” against “one of the best fight teams in the world”.

“We’re very thankful to the boss because he’s very supportive since day one,” Sangiao added. “We saw our weaknesses, we saw the losses we had. But we’re trying our best to be part of One, we want to prove we’re one of the best, so we’re training hard on our weaknesses like wrestling and grappling.

“This is mixed martial arts, we have to asses all our skills we have, so if we’re in the cage we will be complete in all aspects of fighting.”

“It’s very heart warming, coming from the CEO of One, it’s very comforting,” said Pacio, who faces Rene Catalan in the main event on Friday. “But we expect fans and we also expect haters.

“You can’t impress everyone. We’re trying our best to improve all aspects of our game. If you’re on top everyone is looking for you.”

Eustaquio is also back in action this weekend, taking on Finland’s Toni Tauru, as he looks to bounce back from a devastating first round knockout by Yuya Wakamatsu last time out in Manila in August.

“It was the first time in my career to get knocked out, but it’s part of being an athlete and a champion,” the 30-year-old Eustaquio said. “Soon I will get back to knocking people out too.

“You haven’t seen the best version of me. I’m very young, I keep moving forward to develop my skills and show you the best I can do.”

Pacio is hoping to lead by example. “I think … no, we will go 3-0 this Friday,” he said. “I’m champion for a reason, I’m gonna defend this title as many times as I can. At the end of Friday night my hand will be raised.”