EDUARD Folayang knows there will be an added layer of pressure on him when he makes his return to the ONE Championship Circle on 30 September.
The two-time ONE lightweight world champion faces a familiar foe in Amir Khan when they tangle at ONE Fight Night 14 inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. It’s a match that will dictate the Filipino’s career moving forward.
Stable leader
When Folayang enters the Circle for the 25th time of his ONE tenure, gone will be the signature Team Lakay red shorts. The 39-year-old has already parted ways with his longtime squad a few months ago to form Lions Nation MMA.
The pressure is now on for him as he looks to build Lions Nation from the ground up, and that starts with an impressive performance against Khan.
“Right now, it’s all about stepping out of my comfort zone and standing on my own. I’m happy because we’ve got great people surrounding us, people who are actively helping us in this endeavor,” Folayang said.
“Of course there are changes, but it is what it is. The goal is to always unleash what we have left in us because that’s one of the main reasons why I changed camps. As much as possible, I want to utilize whatever I can in my toolbox, because this is a very important fight.”
Leaving a stable like Team Lakay definitely has its drawbacks, especially since managing his own squad is something new to the Filipino mixed martial artist.
However, Folayang insists that his first outing under the new banner against Khan won’t only be for Lions Nation MMA, but the entire country.
Pressure is on
"[The pressure] is normal. We’re here now. We know there could be consequences to our actions. So I’m taking the risk,” he said.
“I know I’ll be carrying this new team. But at the end of the day, the vision is to represent the whole nation of the Philippines. At the end of the day, we want to inspire more people through this sport, and that’s what we want to do.”
He knows that it won’t be easy against Khan, but he’s confident that this match will be the start of something new.
“I think within that span of five years, we’ve both changed as a fighter, so I’m focused on myself,” he said.
“I’m very excited about how I’ll traverse my path to redemption. I’m happy and grateful to ONE Championship for giving me another opportunity to be back in action in Singapore.”
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