Eduard “Landslide” Folayang will start from scratch as he takes on a new challenger in ONE Championship’s return to Manila, Philippines.
Originally slated to tackle Ahmed “Wolverine” Mujtaba, Folayang turns his focus to Pieter “The Archangel” Buist when they tangle in the co-main event of ONE: Fire and Fury on January 31 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“It’s a reset,” Folayang stated.
“This will test how good we truly are in adjusting, how flexible we are. I have an advantage when it comes to preparation time, but I know we’re all professionals so I know he’s training even without a scheduled bout.”
While his original foe favored the ground game more, Folayang will now have to deal with the Dutch striker who is known for his thunderous knees — something he utilized in his win over Kota “Kong” Shimoishi at ONE: Warriors of Lighty in May 2019.
That is just one of the major adjustments the 36-year-old has to work on entering this bout.
“Of course, there would be major adjustments because he’s a striker and he will have a reach advantage. So now it’s all a matter of finding areas where he’s weak,” Folayang said.
“That will be crucial — finding his weakness and exploiting it. That will be the key to a victory here,” he added.
“He has a great record; his wins are well-balanced from submissions, TKO, and decisions. He’s a good striker and he knows how to use his knees and reach to his advantage.”
At the end of the day, though, it all comes down to preparedness. Folayang promises to make good use of the next few days to prepare for the 31-year-old dynamo.
“This is a big lesson for me. You have to expect a lot from every opponent you’re facing. I know this would not be a walk in the park and anything could happen,” Folayang stated.
“As much as possible, you have to be ready for everyone because everyone’s out for you. So now it’s all about preparing for everything and making sure that things fall into place.”
Folayang and Buist will leave it all on the line at ONE: Fire and Fury on January 31 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.
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