“I think it’s a big factor” - Eduard Folayang says working with dedicated BJJ coach will help him in Shinya Aoki rematch

Eduard Folayang has been here before. Multiple times, actually. With the fourth installment of his rivalry with Shinya Aoki just around the corner, Folayang opened up about one key element that could make all the difference - preparation. Specifically, in the grappling department.

"I think it was a huge thing," Folayang told The MMA Superfan. "Back then, I was under Prof. Jan. He got his black belt in Japan as a judo and as a BJJ practitioner. So he has some similarities with Shinya, and he’s also tall and skilled."

That kind of partner helped 'Landslide' simulate what it would be like to come face-to-face with someone with a similar style and skill set to Aoki.

"You get good confidence when you have someone like that who can give you the same feeling you would get from your opponent when you get in the ring," he added.

"I trained thoroughly under him before fighting Shinya the first time. And to top it off, we were able to execute the game plan perfectly. So everything worked together for the victory. Of course, we credit everyone who was with us during that time, but I think it’s a big factor."

Now, nearly a decade since their first meeting, Folayang's gearing up with a sharpened grappling skill set and hoping to even out the score.

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"The goal of course is to finish him" - Eduard Folayang out to wrap things early vs. Shinya Aoki at ONE 172 in Saitama

Eduard Folayang has been in the Circle for a very long time, and he knows better than anyone that anything can happen in MMA. The only way to ensure the outcome is with a finish, and he will be aiming to do just that in this next bout.

"The goal of course is to finish him. MMA is a very unpredictable sport so as for my part I just have to follow through with my preparations and be on my toes always."

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang takes place at 2 PM ICT tomorrow. Catch it live via PPV on watch.onefc.com.