EVERYONE was excited. In fact, most had the Baguio idol as the overwhelming favorite. One perfectly-timed shot, and it was all over.
When Martin Nguyen landed his patented overhand right on defending ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang, the whole pro-Folayang MOA crowd was stunned silent. Martin Nguyen made history as ONE Championship's only two-division world champion.
The new champion showed he was a true winner when, after the KO, he rushed to the side of Eduard to make sure that his "manong" was okay.
Nguyen immediately tried to make sure that Folayang's head was elevated, and when he was told by the referees and the ringside doctor to move away, he went to the other side and clung to Folayang's hand.
That was a winning move. That was classic. That's what champs are made of.
After the fight? You guessed it. Social media was abuzz with instant MMA experts and their unsolicited comments about what could have happened if...
OMG! Why is it that there are those who think they know everything.
Eduard and the new champion trained very hard for the fight. I am very sure they are both very well coached and both have unparalleled dedication to the sport. It isn't as if they came into the octagon on fight night without sacrificing so much in terms of preparation and strategy. That evening, only Eduard, Martin and the referee were in the ring. Everyone else, including those "experts" and "analysts" were just spectators.
Even after the bittersweet loss, Eduard "Landslide" Folayang will always be a champion. That's the sport and that's just the way it works. You win some, you lose some.
As a real warrior with the heart of a champion, Eduard, in all his humility, need not prove anything. Don't you worry people - the "Landslide" will be back in no time. That makes me really excited and we can only hope that he comes back stronger and tougher.
Martin Nguyen deserves to be the new king of that ONE Championship MMA division. Many will remember the night for the violent knockout and how Nguyen made history at the expense of our idol.
Hopefully, the image of Nguyen right by his friend's side after the stoppage also stands out, as it shows the true meaning of honor and respect among martial artists and professionals.
And the losing breed? It isn't Eduard for sure. Neither is it Team Lakay.
It's all those instant "experts" and "analysts" who talk too much, type words too much and quickly make their comments known on social media thinking they'd even last one second with any fighter in the octagon.
"Agtalna kayo man sao kayo nga sao nga!"
"The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand." ~ Vince Lombardi
"Win or lose, I'll feel good about myself. That's what is important." ~ Mary Docter
"I think sportsmanship is knowing that it is a game, that we are only as a good as our opponents, and whether you win or lose, to always give 100 percent." ~ Sue Wicks