Despite the forgettable night at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES last August 2, Team Lakay has one thing going for it – young, hungry athletes.
While staples such as Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, and Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio still remain formidable, the future of the fabled stable out of Benguet looks to be in good hands.
A pair of 23-year-olds are currently bannering the team as of the moment.
Joshua “The Passion” Pacio still lords over the ONE strawweight division, while Danny “The King” Kingad is one match away from immortality when meets Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson.
But it is not just that pair who are beginning to turn heads in ONE Championship.
On the rise are the likes of Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang, who recently won a contract to the main roster through Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series, and Jerry Olsim, who is looking to follow the former’s footsteps into the main roster.
For Adiwang, it is easier to rise to the top with the environment that they have in the gym.
“It’s such a huge help for me to be surrounded by World Champions during training because they’re on a different level. My improvements are faster,” said Adiwang.
“I always look up to my seniors from coach Mark Sangiao, Eduard Folayang, Geje Eustaquio, and the rest of the team. They’re all helping and guiding me to be a better athlete.”
The special thing about the gym is that it always keeps them on their heels.
“My team always pushes me to my limits and they make sure I come in prepared,” Adiwang added. “They also show me the things that I need to work on to become better.”
For Olsim, who remains undefeated in OWS, the value of being in such a team has gotten him out of a lot of holes that he dug during his youth.
“In martial arts, I forgot about all my vices and I saw the importance of discipline and respect. If I hadn’t discovered martial arts, maybe I wouldn’t be where I am today. Maybe I’d still be into cockfights and card games,” said Olsim.
“I’ve already experienced the worst, and I have no plans of getting back there. I am already practicing martial arts and that’s where I see myself.”
Of the four, Kingad is the only one with a scheduled bout ahead. He takes on Demetrious Johnson at the historic ONE: CENTURY event on 13 October at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
Regardless of what happens in the future, it is clear that Team Lakay is in good hands.
Catch ONE Championship’s next event, ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH, on September 6 in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It will be the organization’s first ever all-Super Series event. Watch live on the ONE Super App.
