Currently in the middle of a forgettable 2019, former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang had the chance to redeem himself as a late replacement for Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez in the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Championship Final.
But it just was not meant to be for the pride of Baguio City. Visa issues made it impossible for him to compete in the historic ONE: Century Part 1 on October 13 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
With Folayang unavailable, reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian “The Warrior” Lee will now face Saygid “Dagi” Guseyn Arslanaliev at the largest martial arts event in history.
Still, “Landslide” remains optimistic.
“Of course, there’s a huge feeling of missing out because that’s a very big opportunity. You know we don’t say to no to challenges,” Folayang shared.
With a huge window closing for him, the 35-year-old is instead focusing on the future, with ONE: Masters of Fate in Manila right around the corner.
“It stings but we’re moving on. We’re looking ahead and we hope to join the Manila card on November 8.”
Considered the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, Folayang knows that taking on “Dagi” on short notice could pose problems. Nonetheless, he would have loved to test himself against the Turkish powerhouse.
Had his visa been available, the Team Lakay standout would have been prepared to take on the challenge, since he has remained in shape even after that forgettable loss in August.
“I’m a professional – if there’s an offer, as much as possible we say yes,” the Team Lakay standout said.
“Right now I’m in shape. I’ve been helping Honorio and I’ve been sparring with him. I’m in good condition and I never let myself slip.”
Catch ONE: Century, the biggest World Championship martial arts event in history. No organization has ever promoted two full-scale World Championship events in one day, with 28 World Champions competing in multiple World Title bouts.
PART I will air live on Cignal TV at 11:00am Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Sunday, 13 October. TV5 will cut-in to live broadcast 10:30 am.
PART II, on the other hand, will air live on ABS-CBN S+A or Cignal TV at 6:30pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT). TV5 will show the special delay live at 9:30pm PHT.
All preliminary matches will aired on ONE’s Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube accounts.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Eddie Alvarez Injured, Christian Lee Faces Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev At ONE: CENTURY
Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev’s Top 5 Finishes
Angela And Christian Lee Have Made History As Sibling World Champions
