Danny Kingad, Geje Eustaquio Accept Challenges From ONE 158 Winners

When it comes to mixed martial arts (MMA) royalty within ONE Championship, the Philippines-based Team Lakay is one of the most respected and revered camps out there because of their early domination of the promotion combined with their willingness to fight anyone.

Because of this, it is no surprise that any fighter who wants to prove their weight in gold would desire to face someone from the famed gym.

ONE 158 saw two winners in the form of Reece McLaren and Gurdarshan Mangat call out Danny Kingad and former flyweight champion Geje Eustaquio respectively.

Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao recently posted on his social media feed with both men’s response to the proposed fights.

“Someone is calling me out and I want to say congratulations to you, Reece McLaren, for a superb performance tonight. I heard you were calling my name inside the circle. We have faced each other before and I’m ready to face you again. To ONE Championship, let’s have a date for me and Reece. I’m all set and ready. Let’s go,” said Kingad in response to McLaren.

“I would like to congratulate Gurdarshan Mangat for winning tonight. That was a very good fight, but thanks for calling me out, brother. What a warrior does is to respond and I want to say yes, let’s do it, anytime, anywhere. If you’re healthy, let’s do it next week. I’m very much ready. If not next week, let’s do it next month. Let’s do this,” Eustaquio responded to Mangat.

Kingad and McLaren last fought each other in August 2019 as part of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, with the former just getting past the latter by way of split decision.

Three years since that fight, both men have been on wildly different--but somehow same--career trajectories and are looking to string their first win streak in quite a while.

As for Eustaquio and Mangat, the former has yet to step in the cage since his unanimous decision victory over Song Min Jong in October 2020, while the latter is coming off two strong victories–the most recent being a split decision over Thailand’s Yodkaikaew Fairtex.

Seeing both Filipinos back in action would certainly draw their hometown crowds to watch both fights happen, and it is something that the Team Lakay campmates need to have their names back up on the marquee.

With the challenges being accepted, MMA fans now await the date as to when they will happen.