Folayang praises ‘durable’ Adrian Pang for giving tough challenge

MANILA, Philippines – Homegrown talent Eduard Folayang may have had his hand raised in triumph at the end, but he went through a grueling 3-round war with Australian fighter Adrian Pang in the co-headliner of ONE Championship’s “Heroes of the World” event on Saturday, August 13. 

Folayang, who walked out of the Venetian Hotel’s Cotai Arena in Macau, China with the unanimous decision victory, already expected that it would be a tough task to take out Pang.

“I already expected that he would be strong and durable all throughout the fight. In my mind at that time, I had to be accurate and precise with the strikes that I would throw,” he told Rappler. 

The 32-year-old Baguio City native had the clear advantage in the stand-up department from bell to bell, dropping Pang to the canvas twice with a spinning back fist in the dying seconds of the first round and a sneaky-but-solid right straight in the opening moments of the final frame. 

In addition, Folayang peppered Pang with inside leg kicks and consistently bombarded his opponent’s defensive guard with well-executed spinning back kicks to the midsection. 

However, it was not enough to secure the finish against Pang, who had his opening in the third canto by maintaining a sturdy top control on the canvas to pummel his Filipino foe with elbows and short punches. 

Although the 5-foot-9 Team Lakay representative has not attained a stoppage win since January 2012 when he submitted Wadson Teixeira with staggering elbow shots in just 56 seconds, Folayang stressed that he is not disappointed with the outcome of his punishing encounter versus Pang. 

“It would be great if I managed to get the finish, but he is a top-level fighter. He won’t go down just like that. I tip my hat to Adrian Pang for a great fight,” he said. 

Folayang admitted that defeating Pang was an arduous assignment to accomplish, but he asserted that it compelled him to prepare extensively and formulate a game plan to topple his high-caliber adversary. 

“Everybody has their own areas of weakness and strength. That’s why it’s very important to prepare in every battle.  No matter how strong or talented a fighter is, we should always be prepared,” he shared. – Rappler.com