ONE Championship Finds Opponent For Eduard Folayang's Return To MMA

ONE on Prime Video 5 on the morning of December 3 (December 2 in the United States) will roll out the red carpet for a revered Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) royalty.

The International Business Times has received an insider info from a reliable source that Eduard Folayang (22-12) will be gracing the much-awaited live event, which is set to take place at the state-of-the-art SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.

The two-time ONE lightweight titleholder is booked to lock horns with Brazilian dynamo Edson Marques (10-2) in a three-round bout.

According to the same source, Folayang was originally slated to share the cage with Yoshihiro "Sexyama" Akiyama. However, the Japanese MMA icon elected to turn down a date with the Team Lakay captain.

Fortunately for Folayang, it is business as usual this coming December.

Folayang is in the hunt for his first win under MMA rules since his technical unanimous decision victory over Amarsanaa Tsogookhuu in November 2019.

The 38-year-old native of Baguio City, Philippines is reeling from a four-fight skid, yielding against the likes of Pieter Buist, Antonio Caruso, Shinya Aoki and Zhang Lipeng.

Though he finally caught a break this past March by defeating Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr in an all-striking clash by way of a clear-cut unanimous decision, "The Landslide" still finds himself in a must-win situation opposite a man who has found a new lease on life as a mixed martial artist at lightweight.

Marques lost his first two assignments, absorbing demoralizing knockout losses at the hands of Raimond Magomedaliev and Hiroyuki Tetsuka at welterweight.

The Brazilian got his first taste of victory under the ONE Championship banner this past June when he made his successful lightweight debut versus Kim Kyung Lock.

"Panico" had to survive a three-round war of attrition to earn a hard-fought unanimous decision win over the South Korean spitfire.

Now, Marques will get a once-in-a-lifetime chance to add a feather to his cap by facing a notable name in the sport.

ONE Championship's fifth feature presentation on Amazon Prime Video is headlined by a light heavyweight title clash between two-division ONE kingpin Reinier de Ridder and interim heavyweight champion Anatoly Malykhin.

Aside from the de Ridder vs. Malykhin showdown, two more world title duels are slated to be part of the aforementioned fight card.

Chingiz Allazov finally gets his opportunity to challenge Superbon Singha Mawynn for his ONE featherweight kickboxing belt, while the promotion will crown an undisputed women's atomweight Muay Thai champion as Allycia Hellen Rodrigues and Janet Todd collide in a world title unification contest.