“It would be awesome” - Eduard Folayang wants rematch with Eddie Alvarez

Former two-time lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang is seeking to avenge his loss against former UFC world champion Eddie Alvarez in a rematch bout.

The Filipino veteran was last seen in the Circle when he defeated striking legend John Wayne Parr at ONE X. He won their Muay Thai clash and retired the Australian.

However, Folayang has suffered a string of consecutive losses in MMA over the last two years. He would now like the opportunity to turn things around and fight against a formidable rival.

In an exclusive interview, he told ONE:

“Of course, that’s a great opportunity for me, it’s a great fight if that happens. It would be awesome if Alvarez vs. Folayang II does happen especially on my part. I really feel that I could’ve done something more in our previous fight.”

Eduard ‘Landslide’ Folayang clashed with Eddie Alvarez at ONE: Dawn of Heroes in the semifinals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix in 2019. The fight was a thrilling one-round bout of pure intensity and action.

Folayang began the round strong with some stinging leg kicks. One of them eventually hurt Alvarez and dropped him to the mat. The Baguio native eagerly went to the ground to meet Alvarez with some ground and pound to try to finish the fight.

The Manila crowd cheered him on with vigor as it appeared Eduard Folayang was on his way to becoming the victor.

However, the cheers were short-lived. Alvarez recovered and seamlessly swept the former lightweight world champion onto his backside. As Folayang scrambled to get free, he gave up his back, which allowed Alvarez to submit him with a deep rear-naked choke.

Rewatch Folayang vs. Alvarez below:

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Eduard Folayang on learning from past mistakes to get back into the win column again

Eduard Folayang intends to learn from past mistakes to get back to winning ways. The Filipino native hasn’t won an MMA fight since 2019, but plans on making his comeback to the Circle soon.

‘The Underground King’ has also suffered defeat against current lightweight world champion Ok Rae Yoon. So a possible rematch between the two former world champions could still happen since both share an insatiable thirst for glory.

Reflecting on his fight against Alvarez, Folayang concluded by saying:

"It wasn’t the outcome that I wanted. We all know that we all make mistakes in life. Even a small error could lead to disaster. That’s why I’m willing that Alvarez vs. Folayang II does happen."

He added:

“I feel that I have to drastically improve my striking and undergo an intense training camp if that fight with Eddie eventually happens.”

In the meantime, Eduard Folayang needs to stay prepared when the time comes.