Mark Sangiao pleased with son following MMA footsteps

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino martial arts legend Mark Sangiao is passing on his skills to the next generation with his son Jhanlo following in his footsteps.

Only at 17-years-old, Jhanlo is reportedly flourishing under the guidance of the decorated mentor.

"I am just happy to see that he is enjoying the traning," said the older Sangiao, who is also the founder of the famed Baguio stable Team Lakay.

The Sangiao patriarch, who has steered Team Lakay to numerous world championships in different promotions like ONE Championship and BRAVE CF, emphasized to his son the importance of hard work if Jhanlo is to realize his potential.

"It will still be a long journey for him but the thing now is, he loves the learning process. The honing will come as time goes," Mark said.

The 41-year-old can also see his son rank among Asia's elite, having forged the careers of the likes of Honorio Banario, Eduard Folayang and Joshua Pacio.

"Seeing his hard work, his will to train and his passion, the answer is yes," The Team Lakay mentor said of his son's potential to be a top fighter.

But the martial arts mentor is careful to always put a divide between his father-son and mentor-student relationship with Jhanlo.

"At home, I am his dad. At the gym and during training, I am his coach. That's how I find the balance, they don't mix," Coach Mark said.

The 17-year-old Jhanlo hopes to earn a shot at the ONE Warrior Series for a chance to win a contract with Singapore-based promotion ONE Championship.