Team Lakay, former fighters finally get closure in impasse after GAB intervenes

GAB stepped in to somehow patch things up between Team Lakay and its former stars. GAB
By Ivan Saldajeno

LAS PINAS–Former members of Team Lakay finally got some sort of a closure with its old MMA stable after the Games and Amusements Board mediated in their affairs earlier this week.

GAB chairman Richard Clarin and combat sports division chief Jackie Cacho traveled to La Trinidad to summon officials from Team Lakay led by head coach Mark Sangiao and longtime mainstay Geje Eustaquio and the squad's former members led by future MMA legend Eduard Folayang, who now leads Lions Nation MMA, and reigning ONE strawweight champion Joshua Pacio over lunch.

Both Team Lakay and Lions Nation agreed to have the latter's members who were once with the former released formally with Clarin himself drafting the papers.

“Given the close-knit nature of our professional sports industry, maintaining positive relationships is paramount,” said Clarin.

The mediation also paved the way for Sangiao to air his side of the story amid the accusations against him the most controversial of which is a report that he is taking 30 percent of his fighters' winnings, which although well within the commission limit set by GAB was deemed a bit too much.

“We could have talked to each other before their departure for us to settle our differences. But we welcome the GAB intervention as I was able to clear my name, especially on several issues that they have hurled against me,” Sangiao said on Thursday.

He then called on both camps to stop throwing verbal barbs at each other and even asked GAB's help that this will be implemented.

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