“It will be hard to get a good finish” - Eduard Folayang feels Ok vs. Lee II could end in another decision

Filipino martial arts legend Eduard Folayang believes the rematch between Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee could end in another decision. That is, unless the former ONE lightweight world champion decides to put things, literally, into his own hands.

Ok, the current ONE lightweight world champion, and Lee will attempt to settle the score in a highly anticipated rematch in the main event of ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II on August 26, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Folayang, a former ONE lightweight world champion himself, said Lee should be the aggressor and try to put away Ok in any way possible to reclaim his gold.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Eduard Folayang said:

“I think he shouldn’t put it in the judges’ hands. He needs to do that so he’s able to make that big statement that he’s really the world champion. But of course, both warriors are preparing well for this fight, so it will be hard to get a good finish, especially that they had ample time to prepare themselves. If he can be able to really showcase the judging criteria of ONE, which is near finish and near KO or near submission, and a lot of damage, then I think he can be able to get that big win.”

Ok is one of the toughest fighters in the world, boasting 16 professional wins and a perfect 3-0 record in ONE Championship.

The South Korean star, who has been deemed a legend killer, dominated Marat Gafurov and MMA icon Eddie Alvarez in his first two fights in the organization.

That amazing momentum eventually pushed him to his world title victory over Lee in September 2021.

Lee, however, has since been on a mission to reclaim the gold he controversially lost to Ok.

The Singaporean-American star is just 24 years old but has taken down an impressive list of veterans in the sport.

Lee has an absurd 93.33 percent finishing rate in his 15 victories, and his 861-day reign atop the lightweight division is second only to Japanese legend Shinya Aoki’s combined 1,363-day reign.

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Loss to Eddie Alvarez still haunts Eduard Folayang

Eduard Folayang was featured in a battle of legends when he faced Eddie Alvarez in the semifinals of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix in 2019.

The Filipino star’s superior striking had Alvarez reeling early in the fight, but his overexcitement ultimately proved to be a fatal mistake.

Alvarez, who had the grappling advantage in the matchup, found the dominant position and slapped in a tight rear-naked choke to take the victory. Eduard Folayang admitted that he made crucial mistakes in the fight and that the loss is still a bitter memory for him.

In a previous interview with ONE Championship, Folayang said:

“I made some key mistakes in that first fight, and at this level, just one slight mishap is the difference between victory and defeat. If we fight again, I know I can go strike-for-strike with him. I just need to work on my ground game so we don’t have a repeat of what happened last time.”