By Jun Ray Navarres
Team Lakay’s Jhanlo Mark “The Machine” Sangiao confident that he can take on Indonesia’s Paul Lumihi in his ONE Championship debut.
Scheduled to face off for a bantamweight clash at ONE: WINTER WARRIORS II, a previously recorded event from the Singapore set for broadcast via tape delay on Dec 17, Sangiao believes he has advantages over “The Great King”.
“I think he’s the oldest fighter I’ve faced,” the 19-year-old Sangiao said of Lumihi, who is 14 years his senior.
“I’ve faced older men in the amateurs but not this old, they’re like 28. But I feel like youth is an advantage of mine. I feel like I’m stronger, I’m younger and I can beat him.”
Coming from the famed Team Lakay and being the son of legendary coach Mark Sangiao, “The Machine” is already finished doing his homework on the OPMMA Featherweight Champion.
He also grew up watching his world champion manongs dominate the Circle with striking and this for him will be his edge against Lumihi.
“Based on what I’ve seen, he’s more of a striker but he tends to struggle when the fight hits the mat, he either gets submitted or gets punished on the ground. But it doesn’t matter, wherever this match goes, I feel like I can take him on. But of course, I don’t want to be overconfident,” said Sangiao who represents the stable’s “new breed”.
“Of course, I am the better striker. I feel like I have the edge over him in a lot of stuff. I’m younger, much more powerful and I get to train with some of the best strikers in the world. World champions like Joshua Pacio, I get to train with Danny Kingad and of course my sparring partner is the most lethal striker in ONE in Kevin Belingon.”
Yet, Lumihi is also confident that his experience will propel him into a win that will turn his career around. With proficiency in kung fu, taekwondo, wushu, and Muay Thai, he stands as the tallest wall in Sangiao’s journey.
Nevertheless, it all depends on who can execute their game plan well and capitalize on the situation inside the Circle.
“Anything can happen, but of course I want to get that bonus whether that submission or knockout. When that opportunity comes, I’ll be taking it,” Sangiao concluded.
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