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Former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang will be part of the biggest martial arts event ever, ONE: X. He will be taking on John Wayne Parr on March 26. Folayang does not seem too bothered by his underdog status against the Aussie Muay Thai legend, who will be competing for the last time in his storied career.
It will be the first time in 11 years that Folayang will be fighting in an all-striking bout. For this, pundits are pegging the Filipino as the underdog, despite him being eight years younger than his opponent.
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During a recent interview with ONE Championship, Folayang spoke about not being the betting favorite against the living legend:
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"That’s just the way it goes, I guess. I’ve been competing for a long time and I think this is a good thing for me. They expect me to come in as the underdog, and that’s okay. It gives me a chance to focus on myself, and the problems that I will be giving him inside the ring."
The Filipino warrior sees that by being the underdog, the weight of expectation will be off his shoulders. Though he has been a gold medallist in wushu in the past, Eduard Folayang has exclusively been doing MMA for the last decade.
However, this doesn't mean that he cannot go back to his roots. After all, his MMA game has mostly been built around his kickboxing prowess.
"I’d do my best to pull off the upset" - Eduard Folayang on fighting a legend like John Wayne Parr
Ever the humble warrior, Folayang never promises anything but an exciting fight. Speaking about the idea of fighting a Muay Thai legend, the Filipino had this to say:
"Of course it will be an exciting fight. Honestly, I don’t know how it will end but I’d do my best to pull off the upset. I hope to pull off a surprise for my fans. I’m taking on a legend of Muay Thai in a Muay Thai bout. It can’t get any bigger than that."
Whether Parr becomes victorious in his farewell fight or Eduard Folayang pulls off an upset, this fight will be fireworks. The real big winners here will be the fans watching. Tune in on March 26 to watch the action and drama unfold.
