EDDIE "Silky Smooth" Abasolo has always been proud of his Filipino heritage, and he plans to display that puso the moment he returns to the ONE Championship ring this Saturday.
Abasolo takes on Luke 'The Chef' Lessei on February 17 at ONE Fight Night 19: Haggerty vs. Lobo inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok. He couldn’t be any more excited to represent not only the United States but also the Philippines, as he steps into “The Mecca of Muay Thai” once again.
Dream come true for Abasolo
“Even though I’ve fought there once, it’s like a kid at Disneyland. It’s a dream come true. When I started this journey, I would watch fighters and people that I grew up on, Muay Thai legends, and it’s always been a dream of mine to fight in Lumpinee,” he said.
“Before ONE, unless I moved out to Thailand and went through the circuits, I feel like [that would be] the only way I would have had the pleasure of touching the stadium. But because of ONE Championship, I was able to touch Lumpinee.
“It’s surreal the first time. I think it’s gonna be surreal the second time. I probably won’t get over it when I’m at Lumpinee. The first time I walked in there, I could just feel the energy and I loved it.”
Abasolo traces roots to Baguio City
It’s no surprise that Abasolo’s roots in the Philippines directly connect to Baguio City – a city that has produced five ONE World Champions: Eduard Folayang, Joshua Pacio, Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio, and Honorio Banario.
Abasolo met some of these men in his ONE debut when he competed on the same card with Belingon and Stephen Loman, and he couldn’t be any more excited to not only visit but compete and feel the warmth of one of the best crowds in Southeast Asia first hand.
“I actually had the pleasure of meeting some of them in my very first fight in ONE Championship, and I have ambitions of going [to the Philippines]. I know ONE Championship held a card in the Philippines, and I’m just looking for the opportunity for that to happen again, and hopefully I could be in it,” he said.
“I’ve never been in the Philippines. That’s one of the top three on my bucket list in life, and if that ever happens, for sure I’ll take my wife and kids with me.”
But before that, he has to take care of business against the tough Lessei this Saturday, and he promises to do so while repping the Filipino flag to the best of his abilities.
“I’m proud to be a representative of the Philippines when it comes to Muay Thai,” he said. “I wear the colors with pride. I’m just so blessed and I hope to make my people proud.”
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