John Wayne Parr grateful to Chatri Sityodtong after fan vote lands him $50k bonus for farewell fight at ONE: X

John Wayne Parr had a warm send-off from the Singaporean audience at ONE X. The 46-year-old Australian Muay Thai veteran was seeking 100 wins before his retirement. While the 100th victory may have eluded 'The Gunslinger', he successfully won over the fans.

Seven $50k bonuses were given to ONE Championship fighters competing on ONE X. These performance bonuses were awarded for great fights and memorable finishes. The eighth performance bonus was voted on by fans. With a whopping 42% of the fan vote, the retiring John Wayne Parr won $50k.

The Australian nearly retired last year, but ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong talked him into one last fight. Parr expressed his gratitude in a recent tweet.

"In December I finished one of my runs and my hip was aching. Frustrated with being in constant pain, I grabbed my phone and messaged Mr [Sityodtong] officially retiring. Mr Chatri proposed “what about a farewell fight”? And I thought “Aaaaargh why not”."

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John Wayne Parr on reitrement

At ONE X, John Wayne Parr fought former champion Eduard Folayang of the Philippines. The younger Folayang controlled the first two rounds of the fight but Parr was able to rally back in the third. The Australian landed a flying knee and some punches which clearly hurt his Filipino counterpart. This sequence caused the audience to roar.

With tears in his eyes, Parr left his gloves in the cage at ONE X. In his post-fight interview, he reflected on his long and storied career.

"It's been an absolute dream to live this dream and travel the world and represent Australia. I hope I can inspire the younger generation to follow martial arts, to follow their own dreams, to not let other people dictate your dream. Just because they want you to do something, follow your own path. Because at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, you don't want any regrets when you're older. Live it, love it, and enjoy it."