REIGNING ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang defends his title against ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin “The Situ-Asian” Nguyen at ONE: Legends of the World at the Mall of Asia Arena on Nov. 10.
Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, said ONE will push the boundaries of sports and entertainment with their next event.
“Our next show in Manila is going to be absolutely phenomenal. Two world champions in their respective weight classes are set to go head-to-head in a cross-divisional showdown that will be talked about the world over. Newly minted ONE Featherweight World Champion Martin Nguyen will take on reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard Folayang in a bout that is sure to produce fireworks,” said Sityodtong.
Folayang said he welcomed the fight because he is constantly looking for the biggest challenges.
“As a champion and a martial artist, I welcome any and all challengers. Martin is one of the best in the world and it is an honor to share the ONE Championship cage with him. This is a bout for the fans, and I can’t wait to perform in front of my hometown crowd in Manila once again. I have complete respect for my opponent’s skills,” said Folayang.
Nguyen said New Year will come early this year because there definitely be fireworks in his fight against Folayang.
“I’m out not only to make a statement, but to go down in history as the best to ever compete under the ONE Championship banner. I have the utmost respect for the lightweight champion, and will definitely not take his skills for granted. But this is going to be a dog fight. It’s the first time two champions in different divisions go head-to-head in ONE. I am excited to give the performance of a lifetime. The real winner of this bout will be the fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.”
Folayang is one of the Philippines’ most experienced martial artists. Folayang has an impressive 18-5 professional record. The 33-year-old veteran is currently riding a four-bout winning streak against high-profile opponents, including an emphatic technical knockout victory over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship in 2016.
Nguyen of Sydney, Australia, is a highly-skilled finisher and one of the most talented featherweights in martial arts. In his most recent bout, Nguyen stepped into the ONE Championship cage last August to score the biggest victory of his career when he stopped former undefeated featherweight champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in Macao to capture the ONE Featherweight World Championship.
Nguyen sports a 9-1 professional record. His all-around skill set allows him to compete at the highest level of competition.
For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow on Twitter and Instagram@ONEChampionship, and like on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.