Reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee wants to test himself against former division king Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, since he looks to build a legacy in the weight class.
Folayang, himself a two-time World Champion, is not the man to back away from a challenge.
“It would be an honor for me, and of course it will be a different challenge,” Folayang said after Lee called him out.
Lee has come into his own recently.
The 21-year-old Singaporean beat Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki for the ONE Lightweight World Title early last year. He then derailed Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev’s run at the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix.
Though he insists that he is not looking past the division’s number one contender, Iuri Lapicus, “The Warrior” hopes to test his skills against Folayang, whom he considers a legend in mixed martial arts.
“I would love to share the ONE Circle with Eduard Folayang,” Lee said. “I have a lot of respect for all that he’s accomplished in his career, and I think that we could put on a great show for the fans.
“Eduard is a very good striker and is now rounding out his wrestling and jiu-jitsu. However, I feel that his main strengths are his heart and his killer instinct. He’s the two-time former ONE Lightweight World Champion, so he doesn’t have many weaknesses. I think he’s a great fighter.”
Folayang, however, knows a shot at the division king is still a long way off at this point of his career, but he hopes to one day challenge for the belt again.
“It’s going to be a very challenging match if I face Christian Lee. I know I am still far from a World Title match, but in the future, I look forward to facing him,” Folayang continued.
“It will be a big challenge for me if we face each other. I want to face him, and I hope he remains the champ by then.”
ONE returns to action with ONE: NO SURRENDER, a closed-door, audience-free show set for 31 July in Bangkok, Thailand. Catch the action for free by downloading the ONE Super App.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Why Christian Lee’s Toughest Days Are Still Ahead
Martin Nguyen vs. Christian Lee | ONE Championship’s Top 100 Fights | #92
