Five years after their championship showdown, two-time ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang is set for a rematch against Amir Khan in ONE Fight Night 14 on Sept. 30 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Folayang looks to break his five-fight losing streak by replicating his win against Khan, whom he defeated in 2018 via unanimous decision for the vacant ONE lightweight world belt in Manila.
In an interview with sports analyst Nissi Icasiano, Folayang said there have been changes in both him and Khan’s career in the span of five years.
The Baguio City and Mountain Province native last saw action in December 2022 against Edson Marques where he lost via technical knockout, bringing his record to 22 wins and 13 losses.
Prior to that fight, Folayang trained at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy in New Mexico, United States.
Recently, he and fellow Lions Nation MMA fighter Joshua Pacio went back again to cross train in the U.S.
Khan will definitely revise his game plan, which he himself needs to work on as well.
Being recognized for his powerful strikes, Folayang has acknowledged he needs to work on his ground and wrestling game in preparation for the rematch against the 28-year-old Singaporean fighter from Evolve MMA.
The 39-year-old Folayang, who is called the face of Philippine MMA, said his comeback fight is challenging, as he has to step out of his comfort zone and learn to stand on his own.
This year, Folayang made a career jump when he announced his departure from Team Lakay and consequently established the Lions Nation MMA along with Pacio, Kevin Belingon, and Honorio Banario.
According to ONE, Folayang and Khan are the two most experienced athletes in Asia’s largest martial arts organization with 23 and 22 appearances in ONE, respectively. – Ofelia C. Empian
