Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is preparing to get his mixed martial arts career back on track after a morale-boosting win at ONE X.
The former ONE Lightweight World Champion worked his way past Australian martial arts legend John Wayne “The Gunslinger” Parr in a Muay Thai contest at the promotion’s 10-year anniversary spectacle on Saturday, 26 March.
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Spurred on by victory, the Team Lakay standout is eyeing a return to his more familiar sport of MMA – and one potential opponent in mind is Japanese-South Korean star Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama.
“Akiyama is someone I really look up to, considering his longevity. He’s been here a long time. Maybe we can put on a legend-versus-legend two. We’re done with legend-versus-legend one, so let’s do this,” the 38-year-old star offered.
Like the Filipino warrior, “Sexyama” picked up a significant victory at ONE X.
The 46-year-old veteran had to dig deep to fend off a spirited Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. He survived the Japanese athlete’s grappling onslaught in the opening canto and went on to close out their heated rivalry with thumping knees and punches in the second round.
Eduard Folayang wants to stay active
Folayang was impressed by “Sexyama’s” display and believes a match between himself and the superstar would be entertaining for the global fanbase.
“Maybe we can bring in Akiyama. He really performed well against Shinya. It’s [almost] identical to the way I beat Shinya. I think this is a good match to make,” the Baguio City resident said.
“We were supposed to face each other before, but it got canceled. If it happens, it will definitely be explosive. The crowd will definitely be on their feet.”
However, if he doesn’t get the opportunity to return to MMA, “Landslide” is open to continuing to ply his trade in ONE Super Series – and he named karate specialist “Super” Sage Northcutt as someone he’d like to face.
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“I think it will be a good fight. It’s a win-win situation for us. He’s a striker, a karate champion. On the other hand, I’m from wushu, and we’ll be fighting in a different world with Muay Thai rules,” Folayang noted.
“I think that is a good match for us. It will truly test our skills. I’m sure he loves a challenge, and I see this one as entertaining.”
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Whether or not his wishes come true, remains to be seen, but one thing is guaranteed – Folayang wants to continue winning on the global stage, be it MMA or stand-up affairs.