Jhanlo Mark Sangiao returned to the win column with a third-round submission victory over Shinechagtga Zoltsetseg at ONE Fight Night 33 on Friday, July 11, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Filipino bantamweight (9-1 MMA, 3-1 ONE) secured a rear-naked choke with 18 seconds remaining in the final round to defeat the Mongolian striker. The victory marked Sangiao's first fight since suffering his first career loss to Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu in August 2023.
Sangiao executed his game plan by taking the fight to the ground and working toward the submission finish. The Team Lakay product showed patience and composure throughout the contest, a departure from his previous fights where he typically finished opponents in the first round.
"I expected him to be strong in the first round, and he was, but I still executed the game plan to take him down. I tried to stay composed, I know I cannot be frustrated, so I kept doing [takedown] attempts until I got him," Sangiao said.
"The game plan was to put him on the ground and punish him. The game plan was executed, as you can see from the result."
The 23-year-old fighter said the nearly two-year layoff between fights provided valuable lessons that helped him mature as both a fighter and person.
"The past couple of years gave me a lot of lessons in life, in general. I believe those things made me a more mature and tougher person," he explained.
"It was extremely important. I came from a loss and a long break from competition. I needed this win so much to prove that I am here and will be here."
Sangiao had additional motivation heading into the bout, having become a father just days before the event. The new father said the responsibility of providing for his family gave him extra drive to secure the victory.
"Of course, becoming a father gave me a special motivation that pushed me to win this fight. As a father, what I am doing now is for my son," he said.
"This win also made me realize that mental strength is as important as physical strength. Your body may ask you to give up, but your mind should stay focused and push you to keep going."
With the victory, Sangiao is ready to continue climbing the bantamweight rankings. He said he will focus on training and improvement rather than calling out specific opponents.
"For now, I am more focused on going back to training and improving myself. I will leave that to ONE Championship," he stated.
