By Jun Ray Navarres
Team Lakay Jhanlo Sangiao’s fated match up with Matias “El Rasta” Farinelli will finally happen after ONE Championship confirmed their inclusion at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty.
The two fighters will collide in a three-round bantamweight showdown which will determine who will have their slate tainted first.
Sangiao, the eldest son of Team Lakay’s founder and headmaster Mark Sangiao boasts a 5-0 record including two under the Singapore based organization.
Sangiao already has four victories by submission and one via knockout with his most recent outing last December, where The Machine forced ONE Warrior Series Philippines alum Anacleto “L.A.” Lauron to tap with a $50,000 worth rear-naked choke in the first round.
But El Rasta is a completely different beast from the rest, also displaying a clean 5-0 slate which all came from submission wins.
Both men were originally slated to face each other at ONE 164, but the latter withdrew from the bout after testing positive for COVID-19. As a result, Lauron filled in for him to square off with Sangiao.
Meanwhile, Denice Zamboanga will also join the card to improve her standing in the atomweight division for a possible inclusion in the world title conversation.
The Menace is back on the quest to the throne after a split decision win against China’s Lin Heqin at ONE Fight Night 5 last December.
Zamboanga hopes to better her position in the women’s atomweight rankings and challenge division queen Angela Lee.
However, it will not be a walk in the park for Zamboanga as Mezabarba has been proven to be no slouch of an opponent.
Although she lost her last two assignments opposite the likes of Stamp Fairtex and Jenelyn Olsim, Mezabarba went the distance with them and made sure that they would have to earn the victory the hard way.
Nonetheless, the two homegrown MMA fighters will try to hoist the Philippine flag inside the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @burnsports
