THE country’s top mixed martial arts gym continue to reap awards in the international scene bagging four awards in the recently concluded 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards held on Thursday, November 8 at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach.
A handful of ONE Championship athletes were bestowed prestigious recognition among many deserving awardees in the global martial arts industry where the Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony saw the most prolific martial arts personalities all come together under one roof.
Filipino superstar Eduard Folayang took home the Martial Arts Hero of the Year award.
The former ONE lightweight world champion has long been considered the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, after losing the title in 2017 bagged a pair of victories in 2018 against previously unbeaten Russian adversaries Kharun Atlangeriev and Aziz Pahrudinov.
The 34-year-old native of Baguio City, Philippines is scheduled to face Singaporean sensation Amir Khan in the main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions on November 23 for the vacant ONE Lightweight World Championship.
With three world titles already in their possession, Team Lakay was also named the Gym of the Year for the Cordillera based squad who rose to international fame.
Team Lakay started off 2018 on a high note with three in title holders in ONE Championship namely flyweight world champion Geje Eustaquio, strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio, and interim bantamweight world champion Kevin Belingon.
With the Team Lakay bagging the Gym of the Year plum, Mark Sangiao was also named the Coach of the Year for leading the squad to five world titles in One Championship.
Strawweight king Pacio meanwhile took home the Submission of the Year for his “The Passion Lock.”
Pacio unveiled the modified keylock when he took Pongsiri Mitsatit in Jul and fondly dubbed his submission maneuver “The Passion Lock”, a product of Team Lakay’s Baguio Jiu-Jitsu.