Saturday, September 06, 2008 Folayang eyes UFC debut in 2009
BAGUIO'S Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) RP national titlist Edward Folayang is eyeing a stint in Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as the first full-blooded Filipino to fight in the octagon when it sets its foot in the Philippines next year.
"I'm hoping I could play in the 154 lbs or in the lightweight category if given the chance," Folayang said Friday morning at the University of the Cordilleras (UC).
Folayang, the reigning Universal Reality Combat Championship (URCC) XII the Super Fight division champion said talks are being undertaken right by the organizers of the URCC and the UFC management for the Cordilleran to land a spot in the UFC when it expands in the country next year.
The be-medaled Wushu athlete said the UFC is taking some initial steps to bring the octagon to Australia, Sweden, Italy and the Philippines that are on the roadmap for expansion in 2009.
UC Wushu head coach Mark Sangyao said UFC Superstar Chuck Liddell would be visiting the country soon this year that would seal a deal with the URCC for a localized version of the UFC once the expansion pushes through.
If given the chance in the UFC, Foloyang would be lined up against UFC's lightweight champions in the mold of B.J. Penn defeating Joe Stevenson in January 19, 2008 (UFC 80) in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, then defended his title against Sean Sherk on May 24, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (UFC 84).
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world. The UFC is owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC began as a single-event tournament to find the world's best fighters irrespective of their style, and was based upon Brazilian vale tudo fighting. Although there were a limited number of rules, fighting in the UFC was marketed as no holds barred, and contests were often violent and brutal. (R.Osis)
