Mark Sangiao on son Jhanlo: 'He is a refined version of me'

Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao is confident that his son Jhanlo is ready to lock horns against some of the best fighters in the world.

The 19-year-old prodigy recently signed with ONE Championship and his father couldn't be more proud of him.

Sangiao said he knew that his son can handle the big stage upon seeing him spar with his world champion teammates.

"I saw last year that he is ready when he is sparring with pros like Eduard Folayang, Edward Kelly, Kevin Belingon, and Stephen Loman. That was when I knew that he is ready," Sangiao told GMA News Online in Filipino.

"I felt that I can now keep up in sparring with kuya Eduard and Stephen. I am very lucky because I have world class sparring partners, elite fighters. The more I hang with them the hungrier I get," Jhanlo added.

Sangiao, one of the pioneers of Philippine mixed martial arts and a feared competitor in his heydays, admitted that bearing his surname is a plus to Jhanlo but said that his son must prove his worth.

"That's where he needs to stand his ground because [the name] is already there. He won't struggle to build, just show them what you learned and prove that you deserve to be on the big stage," he said.

Asked what to expect from his son, Sangiao said that Jhanlo happens to be the better version of him as a mixed martial artist.

"If you saw my fights before, you will see that he is a refined Mark Sangiao. Watch out and see for yourselves. Wait for his fight and compare it to my past fights."

—MGP, GMA News