MANILA, Philippines – When it comes to combat sports, the Philippines is best known for producing outstanding boxers. More recently, however, the country is also carving a niche in mixed martial arts, and 2016 proved to be a banner year for Filipino fighters.

Over the course of 14 ONE Championship events in 2016, Filipino competitors tallied 24 victories, including a successful title defense and one of the greatest upsets the promotion has ever seen.

FOLAYANG CLAIMS LONG-SOUGHT TITLE

Eduard Folayang's journey to a world title in MMA came to an epic conclusion as the homegrown Filipino star became the first man to defeat Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in nearly five years.

Folayang captured the ONE lightweight world championship when he stopped Aoki early in the third round of their main event showdown at ONE: Defending Honor last November in Singapore.

The massive upset allowed Folayang to join Team Lakay comrade Honorio Banario and Brandon Vera as Filipinos who have won titles in ONE Championship.

• READ: Eduard Folayang named ONE Championship's Fighter of the Year

VERA DEFENDS HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE

Brandon Vera made quick work of Japanese challenger Hideki Sekine in the main event of ONE: Age of Domination last December to successfully defend his ONE heavyweight title for the first time.

Vera needed just one round to hand Sekine his first defeat. After the Japanese took Vera's body shots well, the Filipino star responded by landing a thudding body kick that sent Sekine to the canvas.

"The Truth" is now seeking to be more active in 2017.

TEAM LAKAY FIGHTERS WIN 16 STRAIGHT FIGHTS

Team Lakay has become a recognizable name in the Philippine MMA scene thanks to the big number of successful homegrown talents that it has produced since 2003.

Headquartered in the mountains of La Trinidad, Benguet, Team Lakay has been recognized as one of Asia's elite MMA groups, spawning fighters such as Eduard Folayang and Honorio Banario, as well as up-and-comers in Geje Eustaquio, Kevin Belingon, Edward Kelly, Joshua Pacio, Danny Kingad and April Osenio.

In 2016, Team Lakay embared on an incredible winning streak, showcasing a magnificently improved ground game to thwart top-level opponents. Team Lakay fighters put together 16 straight victories, five of which came by submission.

One of their best moments came at ONE: Global Rivals in April, when they won all five if the matches in the fight card.

HIGHLIGHT-REEL KNOCKOUTS OF SORIANO, YABO

Burn "The Hitman" Soriano made his debut in April, losing to Indonesia's Sunoto. He was quick to make up for the disappointment, as he registered a highlight-reel knockout of Mario Satya Wirawan in his second fight, a bantamweight encounter at ONE: Titles and Titans in August.

The 30-year-old Filipino standout finished the job in just 15 seconds by delivering a well-executed spinning backfist that instantly turned the lights out on Wirawan.

Meanwhile, Jimmy "The Silencer" Yabo likewise claimed a knockout victory against Pakistan's Bashir Ahmad at ONE: Tribe of Warriors in February.

Yabo uncorked a solid right hook while moving backward that laid Ahmad out cold, adding a hammerfist on the ground for good measure.

PINOY PROSPECTS SHONE IN 2016

Several young Filipino fighters showed their promise in 2016, led by Team Lakay's Joshua Pacio and Danny Kingad.

Pacio fought thrice in 2016, winning the first two in impressive fashion and earning a shot at ONE strawweight world champion Yoshitaka Naito in October.

Pacio was close to becoming the youngest Filipino fighter to claim a world title in MMA but made a crucial mistake in the bout, derailing his championship aspirations as Naito secured a rear-naked choke in the third round.

Meanwhile, Kingad had his fair share of spectacular moments as part of ONE Championship's exciting flyweight bracket. In his first promotional appearance last April, he stopped Malaysian fighter Muhamad Haidar just a little over two minutes into the first round.

Then, at ONE: Age of Domination in December, Kingad mustered a huge victory by submitting veteran and compatriot Eugene Toquero with a first-round armbar.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)