By Rafael Bandayrel
Baguio City-based stable Team Lakay racked up major awards, including the Gym of the Year honors, in the 2018 Global Martial Arts Awards held Thursday night at the JW Marriott Hotel South Beach in Singapore
The stable’s leader Eduard “Landslide” Folayang was hailed as the Martial Arts Hero of the Year after his remarkable comeback this year that saw beat previously unbeaten Russian adversaries Kharun Atlangeriev and Aziz Pahrudinov.
Also victorious was ONE strawweight champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio who took home the Submission of the Year honors, with his win over Pongsiri Mitsatit in July. Pacio made Mitsatit tap with an unorthodox rear naked chicken wing he dubbed “The Passion Lock.”
Meanwhile, the Coach of the Year award was bestowed to Team Lakay patriarch Mark Sangiao, who this year collected three accolades in ONE Championship – Geje Eustaquio’s flyweight championship, Pacio’s strawweight title and Kevin Belingon’s interim bantamweight gold.
Folayang, the face of the illustrious stable, will return to action on Nov. 23, in Manila as he takes on Singaporean Amir Khan in the co-main event of ONE: Conquest of Champions.
