Over the last several years, the Philippines has become a hot bed for MMA fans and a growing base of fighter talent.
Possibly one of the brightest prospects to come out of the area is One FC fighter Eduard Folayang, who recently won in his main event bout for the fledgling promotion in Singapore.
A former school teacher turned fighter, Folayang has quickly made a name for himself as a knockout artist and tough competitor, while quickly building his Filipino fan base.
In the debut One FC event, Folayang defeated late replacement A Sol Kwon by unanimous decision despite suffering a badly broken nose early in the fight. According to Folayang, he didn’t even realize his nose was sideways until after the fight ended.
“I expected him to have accurate striking so it didn’t surprise me. I was surprised that he became passive as the fight went on and didn’t attack that much. I didn’t realize my nose was broken until the fight was over, it affected my breathing but not that much,” Folayang said.
The fight was a rousing success for One FC on a local and national scale with several thousand packed into the stadium in Singapore, as well as broadcasts that reached all over Asia as well as internet broadcast in the United States.
Folayang admits he was impressed by the first show that One FC put on, and is looking forward to the next time he gets to fight for them.
“I was surprised by the size of the audience at the event, it was big. I have never fought in front of 7,000 people before and it made me feel more excited. A lot of people here in the Philippines watched that fight. Some did not watch it live but they watch it on the internet and are eager to see it again when it is shown on TV here,” Folayang commented.
The next One FC event is currently scheduled to take place in December, although an exact date and location haven’t been announced yet. Folayang hopes to be a part of that show as well, but also has some commitments back home in the Philippines that he has to tend to first.
“I really want to fight again this December for the One FC but I have made an earlier commitment in Wushu. It is important for me to represent my country in this event because it’s one way of giving back to my nation,” Folayang stated.
If he’s not able to fight in December, there’s little worry for fans who want to see what Folayang is made of because his manager is currently negotiating a very long term deal that would see the young star make a home in One FC for many fights to come.
“Everyone in Baguio (Philippines) watched the fight and are asking when I will be on the One FC again. I’m expecting to fight again soon and my manager is negotiating a contract for 10 fights in the One FC,” Folayang revealed.
One possible match-up for Folayang in his return to One FC could be a fight with Muay Thai star Ole Laursen, who he was originally scheduled to face on the card before a knee injury befell the fighter.
Whoever his next opponent is, Folayang is excited to see his star continue to rise as one of the best home grown fighters not only from the Philippines, but one of the top competitors in the world.
Source - MMAWeekly
