MANILA, Philippines – Second-generation mixed martial arts star Jhanlo Sangiao will be joining his veteran Team Lakay stablemates in the stacked ONE 164 card set December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Sangiao, the son of Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao, will face undefeated prospect Matias Farinelli in the latter's ONE debut and will mark his return to the ONE Circle after a year of absence.
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The bantamweight prospect faced a lengthy layoff due to injury.
Sangiao was victorious in his first taste of action in ONE when he submitted Paulus Lumihi in the first round at ONE: Winter Warriors II last December.
Now with another challenge headed his way, the Baguio-based fighter hopes to continue his winning ways. This time with Filipino fans in the stands, Sangiao is eager to impress.
"Compared dun sa first fight ko, meron yung pressure parang syempre nung debut ko, inaasahan ako, 'Ah, andiyan na yung bagong phenom'... Parang napepressure din ako na dapat manalo." Sangiao told the media during Team Lakay's training in La Trinidad, Benguet earlier this month.
"Dito rin sa second fight... Parang iba yung pressure dahil andiyan yung mga Filipino fans. Actually sa first fight ko kasi, lumaban [ako] ng walang audience. Kaya hindi ko pa alam yung feeling," he added.
Despite Sangiao's inexperience in fighting with a packed audience, the young gun will look for guidance from his older teammates with whom he'll be sharing the card with.
ONE 164, the second of two events in Manila that day, will feature Team Lakay's Joshua Pacio in the main event where he will defend his ONE strawweight title against Jarred Brooks.
Former Flyweight titlist Geje Eustaquio, meanwhile, collides with China's Hu Yong as Jeremy Pacatiw clashes with Tial Thang.
In the lead card, their stablemate Jenelyn Olsim opens the action in a women's strawweight contest against China's Meng Bo.
Other Filipinos set to compete in the card include TREX MMA's Drex Zamboanga, and ex-ONE Heavyweight World Champion Brandon Vera.
Zamboanga will lock horns with another Team Lakay fighter, the winner of ONE Warrior Series: Philippines set to be revealed by the end of this month.
Vera, for his part, faces Iran's Amir Aliakbari.
In the morning show, ONE Fight Night 5, Denice Zamboanga and Eduard Folayang will feature for the Filipino fans.