“I’m not sure he’s the favorite in this fight” - Chatri Sityodtong breaks down Eduard Folayang vs. John Wayne Parr

It’s easy to write off Eduard Folayang at this stage in his career. The Filipino veteran has now lost six of his last seven in the Circle, marking one of the sharpest falls from grace ever in combat sports.

However, one man who believes he can win his upcoming match is ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.

Folayang is scheduled to face Australian legend John Wayne Parr in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest at ONE X, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Saturday, March 26. It’s Folayang’s first time in ONE’s all-striking league and Parr’s final professional Muay Thai fight before he retires.

Speaking to SCMP MMA in a recent interview, Chatri broke down the Folayang vs. Parr matchup. He shared why he thinks ‘The Landslide’ could pull off a massive upset.

“It’s a tall order to fight a legend like John Wayne Parr. At the same time, I do believe that Eduard is the faster, stronger, more powerful striker, because he’s younger. A full 10 years younger than John Wayne Parr. Of course, John Wayne is a seasoned, grizzled veteran, a world champion striker. So it’s a very intriguing storyline as well. I know a lot of experts are giving John Wayne Parr the nod in terms of being the favorite. I’m not sure he’s the favorite in this fight.”

That's certainly massive support coming from ONE’s head honcho indeed. Chatri is placing his belief in the Filipino veteran when others are so quick to dismiss him because of the losses.

Check out Chatri Sityodtong's full SCMP MMA interview here:

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This could be the turning point for Eduard Folayang

A veteran as capable and as dangerous as Eduard Folayang, who is a multi-time ONE lightweight world champion, should not be easy to count out. Chatri believes Folayang is one victory away from turning his career around and that a quick diversion to ONE Super Series may just do the trick.

“He [Folayang] has had a rough go in the last several fights. Again, this is a young man’s game. At the same time, I do believe Eduard has one more final world championship run in him, in mixed martial arts. I think this is a good break away from mixed martial arts to focus on striking.”

Chatri continued his praise of the Filipino legend:

“Eduard Folayang is just one of those guys who is truly a martial artist at heart. And obviously martial arts helped him escape poverty, he has an incredible life story. His parents were on the bottom rung of society, earning a dollar a day, nine kids. Five of his siblings passed away from sicknesses because they couldn’t afford medical healthcare. He was lucky to have found martial arts. It transformed his life and he has inspired an entire nation in the Philippines.”

Tune in to ONE X on March 26 to see if Folayang can return to form in style.