"Rivalries can turn into friendships" - Eduard Folayang on camaraderie with fellow legend Shinya Aoki ahead of ONE 172

Eduard Folayang (left) and Shinya Aoki (right) | Image credit: ONE Championship
Eduard Folayang (left) and Shinya Aoki (right) | Image credit: ONE Championship

Eduard Folayang is heading into his fourth match with Shinya Aoki without feeling any animosity against him because of their relationship outside of the cage.

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The former two-time ONE lightweight MMA world champion mentioned this during his most recent appearance on The MMA Superfan's YouTube channel for an interview.

According to the Filipino legend, these fights inside the ring are inevitable because this is part of their profession as pro fighters, but at the end of the day, his morals and respect should stand afterward to ensure that there will be no bad blood, as he explained:

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"What I can say is that for this fight, it's going to be rivals who became friends. It's a little bit of a reflection of our lives also as athletes. We can't avoid these situations. Because sometimes rivalries turn into bad blood. But for me, by God's grace, my rivalries can turn into friendships as long as we stick and stand by our moral principles that God gave us."
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Watch Eduard Folayang's full interview here:

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Eduard Folayang aims for an unforgettable match with Shinya Aoki at ONE 172

With how familiar Folayang and Aoki are with each other's fighting styles, the Lions Nation MMA representative wants to make this fourth installment with 'Tobikan Judan' a memorable one for fans.

Additionally, Folayang pointed out that entertainment value will be his priority for this battle, as he proclaimed:

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"I just want it to be memorable for everyone, especially if I even the score to 2-2. But more than that, if we are able to show our best and we are able to entertain everyone watching, because that's our job. That's how I want fans to remember this by."

Fans can purchase the ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang PPV via watch.onefc.com. The exciting card will take place inside the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.

Follow One Championship News, Schedule & Results at Sportskeeda.

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Edited by C. Naik
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