PERHAPS there is no country more fitting for Eduard “Landslide” Folayang to jumpstart his journey back to the One lightweight world title than Singapore.
After all, the Lion City has been good to him and his mixed martial arts career.
So when he takes on Antonio “The Spartan” Caruso in one of the featured undercards at One: Inside the Martrix on October 30 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Folayang is confident he will replicate the previous magic that he had in the country.
“It always starts in Singapore,” Folayang told the online Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday. “Getting the belt back is very important for me, Team Lakay and the country for the third time.”
A quick look at the former world champion’s résumé and one will understand his fondness of that country.
It was in Singapore where he started to make a name in the international arena, going unbeaten en route to headlining the first One event in 2011.
In the same venue in 2016, he pulled off the biggest win of his career, a third-round technical knockout over highly touted Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki to win the lightweight world title for the first time.
Currently, he’s 6-1 won-lost in Singapore and his head coach, Mark Sangiao, is confident he will improve his record after this event.
“We’re claiming this! We’re claiming Eduard to be the lightweight champion again. I believe in him, and for as long as the fire is still there I believe he can still do it,” said Sangiao, who joined Folayang in the session presented by San Miguel Beer, Go For Gold, Milo, Amelie Hotel Manila, Braska Restaurant and Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. and powered by Smart with Upstream Media as the official webcast partner.
There’s no better time for Folayang to make a comeback because they have been active since the start of the lockdown in March.