ONE: Folayang seeks title win over Aoki to complete career revival

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly two years ago, Eduard Folayang’s mixed martial arts (MMA) career appeared to be lost after he suffered an excruciating defeat at the hands of then-unknown Russian combatant Timofey Nastyukhin. 

Nastyukhin brutally knocked Folayang out cold in their December 2014 lightweight encounter by dropping his foe with a flying knee and then rendering the Filipino unconscious with two vicious soccer kicks to the head.

On the night that Filipino MMA fans witnessed Folayang lying flat on his back in an immobile state, many were convinced that his run as a professional MMA competitor was over. 

Although Folayang faced a cruel finish to his career, he found the will to rise again and personify the truth in the old adage “you cannot put a good man down.” 

After being shelved for 13 months, Folayang triumphantly returned inside the ONE Championship cage by notching a lopsided decision victory over Japanese veteran Tetsuya Yamada in January of this year.

The 32-year-old Baguio City native then survived a grueling encounter against Australian stalwart Adrian Pang by way of unanimous decision last August

By scoring victories over two high-profile opponents, Folayang was able to reclaim his stature as one of the best MMA fighters in Asia and become a contender for the ONE Championship lightweight title. 

“I don’t know how to describe my 2016 because I still can’t believe that I was able to bounce back from the knockout loss in 2014. By God’s grace, I won my first two fights this year and earned a title shot. It has been amazing,” Folayang told Rappler with a delighted smile on his face. 

Almost two years after his vehement loss to Nastyukhin, Folayang will be setting foot on a world title stage for the first time as he challenges Shinya Aoki for the ONE Championship lightweight belt in the main event of the “Defending Honor” card, which takes place at the 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium in Singapore on November 11.

If Folayang pulls off a title-winning performance against Aoki, he will accomplish a rare feat of authoring a storybook career revival. 

Many fighters strive for perfect comeback tales in their MMA careers, with aspirations of always being on top of their game and becoming champions. 

However, numerous careers culminate in harsh conclusions and heartbreaking disappointments due to its violent nature, which discourage most MMA athletes from returning to the cage. 

Folayang stressed that walking away from the sport never crossed his mind because he knows fully well that there are greater things in store for him if he decides to pursue his MMA stint. 

“Quitting is an easy decision to make, but I never thought of that. I have goals in this sport, and I want to accomplish them,” he stated. “I knew if I continue, there would be big and new opportunities for me. Fortunately, I was given a chance to fight for the belt. I consider it as one of the blessings from my decision to continue.” 

A win over Aoki could put Folayang’s comeback story in parallel with the career resurgences of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighters Robbie Lawler, Dominick Cruz, Randy Couture and Frank Mir. 

Folayang asserted that a loss, whether in life or sports, should never be a deterrent in turning dreams into reality. 

“It’s a testament that you can bounce back from any defeat. A loss shouldn’t break your spirit. It is meant to prepare you for bigger tasks with a fulfilling reward. It does not only apply to MMA but also in real life,” he shared. 

Granting that Aoki is a grim antagonist who could demolish his inspirational comeback saga, Folayang remains optimistic that the last page of his story will have an exultant ending. 

“My focus is on bringing home the ONE Championship lightweight title. I believe there is a time and season for everything. This time it’s going to be mine,” he said. – Rappler.com