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Eduard Folayang hopes to take a page off his TKO victory over Shinya Aoki in November 2016 when the pair renew their rivalry at ONE 172.
'Landslide' and the Japanese mixed martial arts icon meet on the global stage for the fourth time when the promotion heads to the Saitama Super Arena. Their lightweight MMA tie is one of several exciting contests lined up for the March 23 spectacle.
The Filipino martial arts veteran sent Aoki to the shadow realm in the opening seconds of the third stanza to lay his hands on the ONE lightweight MMA world championship inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
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'Tobikan Judan', however, pulled a 2-1 lead in their rivalry with a couple of submission finishes at ONE on TNT IV and ONE: A New Era – the organization's inaugural show in Japan.
Now, weeks out of their fourth encounter in 'The Land of the Rising Sun', Folayang knows what he has to do to get his hand raised.
Though fortune didn't favor him in their past two fights, the 41-year-old is approaching this contest with the same preparation as he did when he created history to upset Aoki almost a decade ago.
The Lions Nation MMA co-founder had this to say during an appearance on The MMA Superfan recently:
"In our first fight, he felt something different from my preparations. I think that he wants to get that feeling again. I think the pressure that's on me is to be able to give that kind of performance that he felt when we first met. I hope I can do that. I'm praying that I can give that kind of performance and for him to feel it again."
Watch the full interview here:
'Stay focused, stay hungry' - Eduard Folayang leaving no stone unturned for ONE 172 return
In a recent Instagram post, Eduard Folayang bared his mindset as he wraps up the final weeks of his fight camp at Lions Nation MMA.
The former ONE lightweight MMA world champion uploaded a clip of him smashing the heavy bags and an aqua ball with a caption that read:
"Had a blast training today, but every session is a step toward the goal. Fun in the moment, serious in the mission. Stay focused, stay hungry!"
Can Eduard Folayang make it 2-2 when he takes to the circle against Aoki in Saitama, Japan?
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will be available live and for free at watch.onefc.com on Sunday, March 23.
