“Share the values of martial arts” - Eduard Folayang reveals personal mission as he nears twilight of illustrious career

Filipino MMA legend Eduard Folayang remains committed to sharing the values of martial arts more so at this late stage of his illustrious career.

'Landslide' shared this in an interview with ONE Championship ahead of his scheduled return to action on March 23 at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan, highlighting what keeps him going all this time.

The 41-year-old Lions Nation MMA standout said:

"My goal at this point is simple. I want to continue to do what I love. I want to continue to inspire more people in this sport, I hope to continue to share the values of martial arts to the younger generation, and that pushes me to keep moving forward."

Eduard Folayang is one of the longer-tenured fighters in ONE Championship, competing in the 'Home of Martial Arts' since 2011 and becoming the promotion's lightweight MMA king along the way.

Meanwhile, at ONE 172, he will be battling Japanese legend and fellow former lightweight king Shinya Aoki for the fourth time. He is out to level their head-to-head matchup in ONE at two victories apiece.

ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang is available live on pay-per-view via watch.onefc.com.

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Eduard Folayang says upcoming Shinya Aoki fight will be the last between them

Eduard Folayang said his upcoming battle with Shinya Aoki at ONE 172 this week will be the fourth and last between them. It is something they agreed on when the Japanese legend visited him in the Philippines in 2023.

The Baguio native spoke about it in an interview with ONE Championship, pointing out that he immediately agreed to the fight when 'Tobikan Judan' brought it up considering the long history they have as competitors.

Folayang said:

"It’s actually Shinya who asked for this and I agreed. He went to Baguio back in 2023 and he asked for another match. He’s someone who’s a huge part of my career and now it’s all about honoring our word to each other and fighting again one more time before we call it a career."

The two MMA legends first battled in ONE Championship in November 2016, with Eduard Folayang scoring a TKO win to become the new ONE lightweight MMA world champion. Aoki, however, bounced back in their rematch in March 2019, winning by submission in the opening round.

They last shared the circle in April 2021, with Aoki forcing Folayang again into submission.