'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Eduard Folayang is the only active fighter to have fought on the first-ever fight card of ONE Championship back on September 3, 2011 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Folayang headlined the event and prevailed over South Korea's A-Sol Kwon via a unanimous decision.
As the promotion celebrates its 10-year anniversary, the Filipino fighter from Team Lakay told Sportskeeda what went on in the 'Champion vs. Champion' event:
"At that time, it was just an upcoming promotion and this was not tested yet unlike their counterparts in the west. Looking back, the promotion's timing was perfect. They know how to promote and most of all, their relationship with their athletes are great."
Trending
Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more
ONE Championship had 10 fights for their inaugural event. Among the memorable bouts of that time was Gregor Gracie winning over Seok Mo Kim. Furthermore, Singapore's Eddie Ng delighted the crowd with a vicious knockout against Chunbo Yuan.
Another interesting matchup was Eric Kelly taking on Mitch Chilson, with Kelly prevailing via a rear-naked choke in the first round. Chilson eventually became a staple face in the organization as the analyst beside Michael Schiavello.
Folayang always believed in the vision of Founder and CEO Chatri Sityodtong from day one. However, what he did not predict was how big the organization would be in 10 years:
"I've always foreseen where the the promotion will go but I did not expect it to grow like this. It will grow even further, especially since it also promotes Muay Thay and kickboxing. The organization really grew and I never expected it. I thought they would just focus on MMA but they also got other martial arts as well."
Watch Eduard Folayang's best highlights in ONE Championship below:
Eduard Folayang didn't expect a life-changing experience signing with ONE Championship
After competing in ONE Championship's first ever main event, Folayang became one of the most popular faces of Asia's premier MMA promotion. Little did he know that his life was going to change after signing a contract with the Singapore-based organization and becoming its lightweight champion:
"I was just expecting to fight. They treated me well but I never expected to be a champion. I always wanted to be a world champion but I didn't expect that ONE will make my dream come true."
In a 34-fight professional career that spans 15 years, the 37-year-old Folayang holds a record of 22-12. His most memorable fight till date was finishing Shinya Aoki in the third-round via a TKO to capture the ONE lightweight title back in November 2016.
