Staying In ONE Super Series May Be Next Option For Folayang, Says Team Lakay Coach

Former ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang will be having his first Muay Thai fight in ONE Championship against the legendary John Wayne Parr at ONE X.

For Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, his prized ward taking this risk might have fans seeing Folayang transition into a mainstay under the promotion's ONE Super Series.

In an exclusive interview with International Business Times sports editor and combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano, Sangiao is fully aware of the stakes of this matchup against Parr.

“It is indeed a high-risk, high-reward contest, but Eduard is that do-or-die athlete. He will be there and will do what it takes to get that upper hand and if that happens, we might see him fighting in ONE Super Series,” Sangiao told Icasiano.

Although Folayang is known to be a ferocious stand-up specialist throughout his mixed martial arts career, the Team Lakay lynchpin insisted that "The Landslide" should be well-acquainted with the dynamics of Muay Thai on fight night.

“Defense is vital in Muay Thai, so Eduard needs that. We all know that Muay Thai is a give-and-take combat sport,” Sangiao stressed.

Despite him riding a four-fight losing streak going into ONE X, Folayang’s willingness to step in the cage against a Muay Thai icon at age 38 speaks volumes of his love for combat sports.

Folayang is the only remaining active fighter among those who participated in the first ONE Championship show way back in 2011 and having him on the “Grand Finale” of the three-part ONE X card very clearly shows his longevity--a fact that Sangiao himself acknowledged.

“When you look back and see the athlete roster of ONE ten years ago, who are still here? Maybe two or three? Or maybe one, just Eduard [Folayang]? This only implies that Eduard has that passion, dedication, discipline, and hard work. 10 years and he is still here actively fighting, that’s something out of [the] ordinary,” said Sangiao.

“I remember Eduard headlining the inaugural fight card of ONE Championship a decade ago and a decade after, his name can still be found on the fight card, if not headlining, on the main card.”

The 42-year-old Team Lakay mentor is aware that having Folayang fight a 45-year-old Parr may seem off-putting to many, but there is a reason why both men are considered legends in their respective sports.

“We all know for a fact that physical and mental ability weakens as we age. It’s a natural process, but let me say it again: these are legends facing each other and when we say legends, it has nothing to do with age but more than 100% performance,” Sangiao cheekily remarked.

When asked about the adjustment period for Folayang, Sangiao declared that it would not be as difficult for the former MMA champion due to his wushu sanda experience–a sport wherein Folayang won three gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games.

“Eduard came from a kickboxing and wushu background, [so] shifting from MMA to Muay Thai doesn’t really need a huge adjustment from Eduard’s end,” the coach assured.

For Parr, he knows that his time in the fight game is on its last legs and a victory over the Filipino icon will give him his 100th career Muay win.

On the other hand, a win for Folayang gives his prizefighting run a new lease on life.

“We might see Eduard in ONE Kickboxing Super Series; that is [if] he pulls [off] a win,” Sangiao added in closing.