Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang ended the year a winner, and now he wants to start the year just the same.
On January 31, Folayang targets his second-straight win when he faces Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba of Pakistan in the co-main event of ONE: FIRE & FURY at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
In his last outing against Amarsanaa “Spear” Tsogookhuu at ONE: MASTERS OF FATE in November, Folayang showed his vintage form before the match ended prematurely and he scored the technical decision win.
Now heading into his 19th professional bout, the 36-year-old promises to show a more dangerous “Landslide.”
“Age is just a number. I know I have been competing in ONE for more than nine years already. I have experienced ups and downs but it’s still all about the mindset and being motivated to succeed,” Folayang said.
“As we’ve always said, it’s either you win or you learn, and I have learned a lot and I plan to show that in every match.”
After competing against the best of the lightweight division last year, the Filipino believes that it only seasoned him into becoming a better athlete.
He also expects to have an advantage while competing in his hometown, as he will be battling in Manila for the third time in less than six months.
“I’ve learned to handle the emotion and the pressure in big matches, that’s what I learned when I took on the best of ONE last year,” Folayang said.
“Every Manila event is a very big opportunity for me because of the support that I receive from the crowd and this event is the perfect time to pounce on the momentum I had from my last fight.”
“If I continue winning and remain healthy, I want to compete in all the events here in Manila this year.”
Seeing how far the sport has grown in the Philippines, and with him at the forefront, Folayang promises not to disappoint in his first match this year.
“I’m happy with the continuous development of MMA in the country. That’s why I am always excited to compete in Manila. I want to be in my best when I’m in front of Filipinos,” Folayang said.
“I want to win and put on a good showing so this event would be another success. At the same time, I’m still chasing for that ONE Lightweight belt.”
In the meantime, ONE Championship returns to martial arts action this Friday, 10 January, for ONE: A NEW TOMORROW at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
The lead card begins at 6:30pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT) while the prime card starts at 7:30 p.m. PHT.
To watch both cards tune-in to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or the ONE Super App.
For the main card, turn to ABS-CBN S+A at 9:30 p.m. PHT.