ONE: FIRE & FURY swept through the Philippines this past Friday, 31 January, in incredible form – and after the dust settled, the country was left with plenty to talk about.
Among the stacked 11-bout card, fans saw several of their compatriots notch huge wins after dazzling ground battles inside the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila. Members of Team Lakay were among some of the respective winners who outdid their opponents on the canvas.
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This might have surprised some fans, who, expecting the famed Baguio City gym to showcase their usual wushu skills, were treated to a display of technique on the ground instead.
Gina “Conviction” Iniong was the first to stage Team Lakay’s ground skills as she used her powerful grappling to impose her will over Asha “Knockout Queen” Roka en route to a unanimous decision win.
Over three rounds, Iniong smothered her rival from top control and even managed to lock in a guillotine choke. Although she could not get the finish, “Conviction” showed just how far Team Lakay has improved on the ground.
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang further displayed the team’s growing ground game in his win over Pongsiri “The Smiling Assassin” Mitsatit. As expected, the Team Lakay standout used the explosive elbows and kicks that made him a contract winner on Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series.
But outside of a striking flurry in the opening seconds, Adiwang mostly relied on his stout grappling to keep his Thai rival on the defense. Once he got Mitsatit to the canvas, “Thunder Kid” advanced to half guard, locked on a kimura, and forced the tap with two minutes to spare in the first round.
In just his second appearance in The Home Of Martial Arts, Adiwang’s grappling ability has already caught the attention of the strawweight division.
In the main event of the evening, it was Joshua “The Passion” Pacio who further displayed Team Lakay’s ground skills in his split decision win over Alex “Little Rock” Silva to retain the ONE Strawweight World Title.
Leading up to the match, Pacio expressed awe and respect for his opponent’s grappling mastery. “The Passion” believed he stood the best chance of winning if he kept the contest with Silva on the feet.
Surprisingly, Pacio held his own on the ground, and he defended the Brazilian’s repeated attempts to pass his guard. The World Champion even showed slick reversals and transitions to escape from Silva’s control.
The Filipino strawweight’s tight guard and stingy defense on the ground while grappling with Silva were among the most impressive moments of the match. Pacio never let “Little Rock” roll into a rhythm, and that proved to be the key to his victory.
Pacio, Adiwang, and Iniong’s performances could signal the start to a new era for Team Lakay. If there were any doubts about the team’s grappling abilities before last Friday, their respective bouts at ONE: FIRE AND FURY have shown otherwise.
ONE Championship travels to Jakarta, Indonesia next for ONE: WARRIOR’S CODE this Friday, 7 February, at the Istora Senayan.
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