A new MMA powerhouse is coming together in the Philippines.
Earlier this year, a number of ONE superstars announced their departures from Team Lakay – a long-established and respected camp that was home to several former ONE World Champions, including Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Joshua Pacio.
Now, those ex-Team Lakay standouts have joined forces to create Lions Nation MMA, and the squad already has the makings of an elite camp with real staying power.
Among the team’s founding members are the aforementioned Folayang, Belingnon, and Pacio, as well as Jeremy Pacatiw and Edward Kelly.
For his part, Belingon is overjoyed to begin this new journey alongside some of his longtime training partners:
“I’m still happy because we’re all able to come together to start Lions Nation MMA. They were my guys since the start and now we’re all together once again. We’re really putting an emphasis on teamwork here so that we can continue uplifting each other and improve our lives together.”
According to former ONE Lightweight World Champion Folayang, the new team was formed by a group decision, rather than one athlete in particular leading the way.
And to make the transition easier, Lions Nation MMA is currently housed at the Landslide Martial Arts Training Center in Benguet, Philippines – the former home of Team Lakay.
The 39-year-old Filipino icon said:
“I’m very happy because it was a collective decision on whether to create this team. I feel great because we were able to open the gym alongside the Landslide Martial Arts Training Center, which will be the headquarters of Lions Nation MMA temporarily. I’m honored with the amount of support I’ve gotten from my partners here, along with the support of others along the way.”
Joshua Pacio: New Team Is Built On ‘Open-Mindedness’
For members of the newly formed Lions Nation MMA, a culture of cooperation and collaboration will be key to the team’s success at the highest level.
Former ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio is pumped to share techniques and tips with other world-class fighters like himself. It’s that spirit of cooperation, he says, that will make the new unit successful:
“From now on, I think it’s really the start of enjoying what we do – particularly in sharing [our knowledge], our openness and being open-minded with one another. What I’m trying to say is that all of our minds will be working together to create even bigger accomplishments and glean even more knowledge from one another. I’m just excited to train with these guys.”
With so many established ONE superstars training together in one place, it’s easy to see Lions Nation MMA developing into a massive success.
And according to Pacio, the collaboration and bond between every person in the group will set the team apart from other MMA camps:
“The biggest change would probably all of us being willing enough to listen to each other’s suggestions. That’s how we plan to build this group and that’s exactly how we decided to start Lions Nation MMA. None of this would be possible if we didn’t collaborate on it. What’s most important to us is that we have an open mind and open heart to listen to each other.”
