Team Lakay upbeat on 2024 MMA campaign

MANILA, Philippines -- After a tumultuous year that “tested the character” of the stable, Team Lakay is optimistic of the coming new year.

Earlier this year, several longtime Team Lakay members left the group.

Stable stars Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Joshua Pacio and Honorio Banario left Team Lakay and created their own group Lions Nation MMA.

Stable founder Mark Sangiao underscored that Team Lakay will be focusing on the positives going into the future.

He said that while several fighters moved on from the team, it is a “blessing in disguise.”

“There’s a rainbow after the rain. There’s always an end even to great things, but the end doesn’t always mean you have to stop,” Sangiao said in a statement.

“The end also means starting fresh, starting anew. There were pages of Team Lakay’s journey that was already read and 2023 ended that. It was a nice book, we enjoyed it, but it’s time to move to the next chapter because a new chapter is always exciting,” he added.

Several fighters emerged from the team, including Carlo Bumina-ang and Carlos Alvarez.

“[The departures] paved a clear way and goal for our athletes who fell short of opportunities before. Now, they are taking the fight scene by storm. We took a positive turn from what many considered a downfall and dark time for the team,” he reiterated.

“We are still here and we are more focused, we are much stronger. The number dwindled but the number does not equate to solidness. They always say that it’s better to have a small circle that is firm and one goal-focused than a bigger one with scattered grails,” he added.

Bumina-ang just came from a first round knockout win over Turkiye’s Ilyas Dursun earlier this month.

Alvarez, on the other hand, had a technical knockout loss against Nachyn Sat on December 1st.

“Team Lakay will be showing fresh faces and a more diverse one. A book has started so everybody will have to watch out.”