Legendary Filipino martial arts coach Mark Sangiao has been developing fighters into World Champions for many years, and he’s happy that ONE Championship has a new stage for up-and-coming stars to showcase their skills.

The Team Lakay patriarch recently credited the promotion for its ONE Friday Fights series – a weekly show at Bangkok, Thailand’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium featuring some of the planet’s most promising fighters across various martial arts disciplines.

Mark Sangiao on the global impact of ONE Friday Fights

Sangiao has long been a fixture in ONE. He is a coach and mentor to several prominent Filipino fighters on its roster and has helped shape the careers of many superstars, including Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, and current reigning ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

Speaking to ONE, the MMA guru explained why the weekly Lumpinee Stadium event is helping to grow martial arts globally. “As a coach, ONE Friday Fights is such a huge development. I’ve been here since ONE started, and I have seen this organization grow,” Sangiao said.

He further added “Now, we look at the level of the fighters – you have some of the best fighters from Russia, Mongolia, Japan, and Brazil all competing here now. Through ONE Friday Fights, fighters get exposure and get screened to see whether they’re truly ready for the level of competition on the main roster.”

Carlo Bumina-ang set for high-stake debut at ONE Fight Night 24

After showing that his fighters can reach the pinnacle on the global stage, Sangiao is now starting fresh, with a new breed of fighter. One of whom is bantamweight MMA contender Carlo Bumina-ang. The 30-year-old earned a six-figure contract to compete at ONE’s marquee shows after stringing together a perfect 5-0 record at ONE Friday Fights.

At ONE Fight Night 24: Brooks vs. Balart on Friday, August 2, Bumina-and will make his debut on U.S. primetime when he goes up against Mongolian stalwart Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu.

Sangiao will certainly be motivated to prove Team Lakay’s mantra – “Champions are not born, they are made” – yet again when his latest star makes the walk for his bantamweight MMA battle.