It will be an action-packed weekend for Filipino fight fans after two Team Lakay fighters were added to ONE Friday Fights 13 this Friday at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
ONE Warrior Series Philippines winner Adonis Sevilleno and newcomer Carlos Alvarez are set to banner Team Lakay, with the Mark Sangiao-mentored squad looking to showcase its young guns anew.
Sevilleno battles Road To ONE: Mongolia product Enkh Orgil in an interesting bantamweight MMA clash between two regional tournament standouts.
The 29-year-old Sevilleno made his debut at ONE 164 last December, though he lost to compatriot Drex Zamboanga via decision in a battle of attrition.
In that match, Sevilleno showed glimpses of brilliance. However, Zamboanga’s experience was too much for him to overcome.
Now he gets a chance to get his first win in The Home of Martial Arts against Orgil, who has won his last six bouts—the last two in Road To ONE: Mongolia.
In those matches, the Mongolian proved that he can win wherever the bouts went. He scored a rear-naked choke of Bayarjargal Tsendoo in his Road To ONE debut before knocking out Bat-Ochir Batsaikhan in his last outing.
Alvarez, on the other hand, takes on Reza Abasi in a featherweight MMA bout.
The 24-year-old will bring in a tremendous striking pedigree, owing to his Wushu Sanda background from Team Lakay and his time as a national athlete with the Samahang Kickboxing ng Pilipinas squad.
The pair’s matches on Friday night will be the perfect appetizer for what’s to follow on Saturday morning at ONE Fight Night 9: Nong-O vs. Haggerty.
Their teammate Jhanlo Mark Sangiao targets his third straight win in The Home of Martial Arts when he takes on Matias Farinelli in a three-round bantamweight MMA bout.
On the same card, third-ranked atomweight contender Denice “The Menace” Zamboanga looks to keep a stronghold on her place in the rankings when she battles Julie Mezabarba.