Even after his recent setback to Pieter “The Archangel” Buist, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is shutting down talks of retirement.
The former ONE Lightweight World Champion from Team Lakay dropped a close split decision loss to the Dutch striker in the co-main event of ONE: Fire and Fury on January 31 at the Mall Of Asia Arena.
Now 1-3 in his last four contests, some fans are wondering whether Folayang needs to hang it up. The beloved wushu specialist from Baguio City, however, is not ready to call it quits yet.
“I’ll return. I’ll definitely return. I think there’s more to unleash,” Folayang said.
“It’s not like I was trashed in the Circle. I gave it my all and the difference between us wasn’t far. It was not a definitive loss at all.”
Folayang insists he has a lot left in his tank, and it will take more than a few losses to convince him to walk away from the sport he has called home for nearly two decades.
“Retirement is not yet in our vocabulary because we’re still here. You cannot tell a fish to stop swimming. I am in the world of martial arts and if ever I retire, I am still going to be here,” Folayang said.
“But my mind is still in the competitive stage. I am not at the point where I want to focus on being a coach or a trainer. I know I’ll be headed there some[day], so why rush?”
Getting another crack at Christian “The Warrior” Lee’s ONE Lightweight World Title may not be on the horizon for the soft-spoken 36-year-old just yet, but he is not about to stop dreaming.
“Landslide” even cited compatriot and boxing legend Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao as an example of a veteran athlete who has never stopped striving to become a World Champion.
“I’ll be competing for as long as I can. Like Manny Pacquiao, look at him, he’s getting older yet he’s still there,” Folayang said.
“I think you’ll see an athlete when he’s headed to retirement, you can see it in his performance, but as for me, I’m not there yet.”
Up next, ONE Championship returns to the Lion City for ONE: King of the Jungle on February 28 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “The Rock” Banario returns to the division he once dominated when he battles Shannon “OneShin” Wiratchai.
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