BEMEDALLED national athlete Jean Claude Saclag now moves to the ONE Championship stage after flying the flag in kickboxing and wushu over the past decade.
The three-time Southeast Asian Games kickboxing gold medalist and 2014 Asian Games wushu sanda silver medalist now makes his ONE debut when he battles Lee Jun Young in a flyweight MMA bout set at ONE Friday Fights 78 live from inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok on Friday, Sept. 6, 2024.
Saclag has been a staple for the national team as he also represented the country in the 2014 Wushu World Cup, where he won the gold, and 2013 Wushu World Championships, where he snagged the bronze.
This time around, he looks to carry the Philippine flag in the world of MMA while donning the familiar red trunks of Team Lakay.
It won’t be easy against the man Korean MMA fans fondly call the “Bad Guy.”
Lee comes in with a 5-1 record, four of which coming from finishes with his left hook looking like a lethal weapon Saclag will have to watch out for.
However, Saclag will be more than ready if the Korean chooses to stand and grapple with him. In addition to his kickboxing experience with the national team, he regularly trains with some of the fiercest strikers from Team Lakay.
Saclag joins Carlos Alvarez on the ONE Friday Fights circuit as they look to follow in the footsteps of teammate Carlo Bumina-ang who became the first Filipino fighter to win a $100,000 contract through Lumpinee.
The 29-year-old also gets a chance to regain the momentum of Team Lakay after a forgettable past month, with Bumina-ang falling in his main roster debut against Baatarkhuu and Estrada Dongga-as also getting finished by Pham Van Nam in OFF 76 more than a week ago. / Radyo Pilipinas 2 Sports