ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong believes that Eduard “Landslide” Folayang still has a lot left in his gas tank.
Folayang takes on Antonio “The Spartan” Caruso in a crucial lightweight bout on the massive ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX card set for this Friday, 30 October, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Sityodtong praises Folayang’s continuous improvements with each match and feels it’s proof that the Filipino icon still belongs among the division’s top stars.
“When I look at Eduard and talk to him, I see that he’s hungrier than ever. He’s always improving his skill set,” Sityodtong said.
“I think there were many times in the last few years where Eduard Folayang was written off by some of the haters, but the truth is, he’s still very fresh and very strong and very athletic and very intelligent.”
The 36-year-old is coming off a close split decision loss to Pieter “The Archangel” Buist in January, but that loss – for some – only proved that Folayang is still a major player in the lightweight division.
That includes his head coach, Mark Sangiao, who has been with Folayang since the start of his mixed martial arts journey.
“As long as the fire is still burning and he’s still passionate with what he does, I believe he can still do it,” Sangiao said.
“Based on what I’m seeing from him, he’s still really motivated. The passion is still there. So we’re claiming it. We’re claiming his return to the top.”
Though a lot of people have given their opinions on Folayang’s career, the only person who can honestly talk about it is the man himself.
And he believes that he still has a long way to go.
“As we say in the Philippines, ‘Only Carabaos get old.’ So yeah, I feel fresh as ever,” Folayang said.
“I’ve been fighting all my life, so when I stop it’s like taking a fish out of the water. It dies. Right now, I still enjoy it and I’m still motivated.”
Watch ONE: INSIDE THE MATRIX next Friday, 30 October, live on One Sports+ or the ONE Super App at 8:30 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT). One Sports will air the event on a same-day delay at 9 p.m. PHT.
Additionally, TV5 will air the event on a next-day delay at 11 p.m. PHT on Saturday, 31 October.
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