Banario ready to make big statement as lightweight, says Team Lakay coach

MANILA, Philippines – Honorio Banario may have won his lightweight debut in impressive fashion 4 months ago, but his longtime trainer believes that the real test in his new weight class will happen this weekend.

The 26-year-old Filipino fighter is set to square off with lightweight mainstay Eddie Ng on the undercard of ONE Championship’s “Heroes of the World” event, which takes place at the Venetian Hotel’s Cotai Arena in Macau, China on Saturday, August 13.

Banario, a former ONE Championship featherweight titleholder, took the gamble to move up to lightweight in an attempt to break his 5-fight losing skid that ran from 2013 to 2016.

His decision to leave the featherweight division turned out to be a blessing on his part. He battled compatriot Vaughn Donayre last April and had his hand raised for the first time since February 2013 when he captured the inaugural ONE Championship featherweight belt against fellow Filipino Eric Kelly.

Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao stressed that Banario’s 3-round routing of Donayre is only a preview of the much bigger task ahead of him as a lightweight competitor.

“We always knew that the fight with Vaughn Donayre was only the start of his journey in his new weight class. There are many fighters in that division that are waiting and Eddie Ng is one of them,” he told Rappler.

Eddie Ng has been a lightweight staple since beginning his professional mixed martial arts career in 2007, winning 7 of his last 10 bouts and owning 4 submission victories and 3 knockout triumphs.

“He has been a lightweight ever since. But Honorio is naturally a lightweight. He cuts too much weight when he was fighting as a featherweight. Now, he is more energetic. This is the right weight for him,” Sangiao said.

However, Ng has been sidelined for 15 months and has lost his last two outings under the ONE Championship banner, tasting a first-round stoppage setback at the hands of Vincent Latoel in May 2014 before yielding to Ariel Sexton via second-round submission in May 2015.

The 30-year-old Hong Kong national has not won a single bout since October 2013 when he submitted Malaysian sensation Peter Davis with a first-round armbar, which was part of his 5-match victory parade. (READ: ONE FC: Honorio Banario prepares for ‘win-hungry’ Eddie Ng)

Even if Banario is fresh from a unanimous decision victory, Sangiao maintained that his valued pupil does not have the luxury to be complacent against a well-rounded combatant like Ng.

“The layoff could be good on our part, but we are not focusing on that. There are many facets of the MMA game that we should put our minds into. Realistically speaking, it’s more logical to look into his qualities as a fighter than be satisfied that he hasn’t fought for over a year,” he said.

The Team Lakay mentor confided that Banario is aiming for a statement-making win inside the ONE Championship cage. He added that the 5-foot-9 Wushu practitioner could validate his rightful place in the lightweight division at the expense of Ng.

“He is a newcomer in this division. Honorio is definitely looking to make a statement. If he wins over Eddie Ng, he will be up there with the other lightweight greats in ONE Championship,” Sangiao said. – Rappler.com