MORE than redemption, Eduard Folayang is seeking validation as one of the best lightweight mixed martial artist in Asia.
Having lost the ONE Championship lightweight belt in Manila, Folayang suffered an excruciating defeat at the hands of ONE featherweight world champion Martin Nguyen, who uncorked his signature overhand right at the Filipino superstar after he attempted to deliver a spinning back-kick.
In the aftermath of his unsuccessful second title defense against Nguyen, Folayang admitted that he did not exactly know what to say or how to address the loss.
Using his defeat to Nguyen as a defining moment to learn, Folayang was able to ace his comeback bout with flying colors, defeating previously-unbeaten Russian stalwart Kharun Atlangeriev by way of unanimous decision this past May.
As he regains his position as one of the top lightweight contenders in ONE, Folayang could not avoid returning to the place where he experienced his painful loss.
He is penciled to square off with Russian newcomer Aziz Pahrudinov on the undercard of ONE: Reign of Kings, which takes place at the 20,000-capacity SM Mall of Asia Arena on July 27.
The 34-year-old Baguio City native seeks to erase his painful memory at the aforementioned state-of-the-art showground by having his hand raised against Pahrudinov.
“The ONE lightweight division is incredibly deep and with lots of talent. Getting to the top is very hard, but once you are there, it’s a great feeling. I am determined to get back to the top. I can face every opponent, whether they are undefeated or not. I am willing to go in there and go to work. I am working very hard on improving all aspects of my game with my teammates at Team Lakay. Every victory brings me closer to the title again. This time is no different. I will defeat Aziz Pahrudinov and make my way back to the top,” Folayang said.
Pahrudinov, who holds over eight years of prizefighting experience under his belt and owns an immaculate mixed martial arts record.
Pahrudinov is even considered as one of the toughest Russian lightweights in the sport as he has constantly punished his opponents and grinded out 20 impressive victories, with 13 coming by way of submission and six by knockout.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be making my ONE Championship debut this Friday night. ONE Championship is the best in Asian martial arts, and I am excited to be a part of it. I am sure this will do wonderful things for my career. Facing a veteran and a former champion in Eduard Folayang in my debut is a tough challenge, but I have prepared very well for this bout and I will leave the arena as the winner,” Pahrudinov said.
According to Folayang, his familiarity with Russian mixed martial artists will play a pivotal factor in the three-round lightweight encounter with Pahrudinov.
“He is another tough Russian opponent, with the typical Russian style – aggressive and calculated. He has great wrestling and solid striking, and excellent all-around skills,” he explained.
Folayang believes that a convincing triumph over Pahrudinov will keep him relevant in the stacked 77.1-kilogram weight class of the promotion. (Roderick Osis)