Lakay coach wants KO or stoppage wins for Folayang, Belingon

MANILA, Philippines -- If there's one thing Team Lakay has learned after losing two of their four ONE world titles, it's to never let the fights go the distance.

"Yung lesson na naibigay ng mga past experiences natin sa previous fights ay never [leave] the decision at the hands of the judges," head coach Mark Sangiao said.

Former world champions Joshua Pacio and Geje Eustaquio from Team Lakay both fell in their title defenses in close fights earlier this year after judges scored in favor of their opponents.

This time, with both Eduard Folayang and Kevin Belingon defending their belts in Tokyo on March 31, Sangiao hopes their fate won't depend on the scorecards.

Sangiao knows this is easier said than done, but promises that Team Lakay is pulling out all the stops to return with their belts still intact.

"We know that lahat [ng fighters] ay naghanda. Mahirap talaga," he said.

"We'll try to prove that Filipinos are really tough and competitive when it comes to martial arts... Our athletes are doing their best to win these matches," he added.

Folayang and Belingon will be defending the lightweight and bantamweight titles, respectively, in the ONE: New Era fight card.