Team Lakay’s Mark Sangiao happy for ‘brother’ Eduard Folayang

MANILA, Philippines – As the entire Philippine mixed martial arts (MMA) community erupted in celebration when Eduard Folayang pulled off a major upset victory over Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Championship lightweight belt, there is no one as more ecstatic than Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao.

When referee Yuji Shimada stopped the fight and awarded a third-round knockout victory to Folayang, Sangiao hurriedly dashed to the cage to celebrate his longtime comrade’s crowning glory. 

“It was an emotional moment. I almost cried. Eduard is a brother to me. Seeing him with the title around his waist felt like I also won the belt. I can’t even explain the happiness that I am feeling right now,” Sangiao shared in an interview with Rappler. 

The brotherhood between Sangiao and Folayang stemmed from their heydays in the Philippine national Wushu team, competing side-by-side in international tournaments. 

Sangiao then founded Team Lakay, which has been widely associated with the Philippine MMA scene due to the big number of notable homegrown talents that it has produced since its inception in 2003. 

One of Sangiao’s top students in his fight camp is Folayang, who has served as the captain and big brother to the other Team Lakay fighters. 

Throughout the 9-year MMA career of Folayang, Sangiao never missed a bout as he always sat on his coach’s stool and extended his guidance whether in victory or defeat. 

According to Sangiao, he could not help being emotional because he witnessed the sacrifices that Folayang went through to have his hand raised against Aoki. 

“I consider Eduard as part of my family. If you have a brother like Eduard, you would want the best for him.  Eventually, he got what’s best for him. He sacrificed a lot for this win. I’m just so happy,” Sangiao stated. 

Meanwhile, Folayang gave credit to the game plan that Sangiao carefully devised for months. 

“Coach Mark is the big brain of Team Lakay. We studied a lot of videos of Aoki’s past fights. We gathered every resource available just to have a good game plan. I won’t be here without him,” Folayang said of Sangiao. 

Smiles and tears filled the faces of Sangiao and Folayang as a rain of confetti fell inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

During his coronation as the newly-minted ONE Championship lightweight kingpin, Folayang removed the gold-plated strap from his waist and fastened it around Sangiao as a gesture of appreciation for his mentor. 

“Coach Mark was always there for me. In times of defeat, he chose to stay. This title is also for him. My victory is also his victory,” Folayang stressed. – Rappler.com