History was made when Filipino icon Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City's famed Team Lakay defeated Singapore's Amir Khan to capture the vacant ONE Lightweight World Title.
Folayang became a two-time World Champion after he toppled Khan by unanimous decision in the co-main event of ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines this past Friday.
“Landslide” touted as the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, joined the ranks of his fellow athletes who are current World Title holders in their respective weight classes.
ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio, ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua Pacio, and ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin Belingon, all belong to the very same stable as Folayang.
He relishes the chance to stand tall amongst his ONE World Champion teammates and says he would not be the ONE Lightweight World Champion once again without them.
"This is a rare opportunity to stand with my fellow champions. I am grateful to coach Mark Sangiao and my teammates for having all these belts," said Folayang.
"We have a good team, a good coach, and brilliant people who support us," he added.
Folayang became a World Champion for the first time in his storied career when he shocked Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in the main event of ONE: DEFENDING HONOR at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in November 2016.
Branded as a massive underdog against the Japanese veteran martial artist, Folayang delivered a masterful game plan en route to a third round technical knockout of Aoki.
Folayang, however, would rather not compare his wins over Aoki and Khan, citing that it was two different bouts with two different backstories behind it.
"The year 2016 was a different season. The drama from two years ago was very emotional because I didn't expect the belt to come in such an excellent way," he shared.
"I managed to stop Shinya Aoki, who is seen as a legend in the sport.
"This time is another story because I came from a devastating loss, but after a year everything turned out well to regain the title. It's two different stories," he stressed.
A different sort of drama unfolded as soon as the Aoki bout was over. Folayang wrapped the gold-plated strap around Sangiao's waist at the center of the cage as a sign of gratitude.
It was a unique display of unity, respect, and appreciation for his trainer — and Folayang up to this day feels that his mentor deserves to have a strap of his own.
"Coach Mark has to have a belt as well. We are so grateful because this is a product of unity. We helped each other and have the same vision to excel in all areas," he said.
