Folayang Won’t Back Down Against Alvarez In Battle Of East vs West
The Philippines’ very own Eduard “The Landslide” Folayang will go toe-to-toe with one of the warriors he has looked up to in Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES on 2 August at the Mall Of Asia Arena in Manila.
“I was very excited when I heard the news that Eddie Alvarez was next for me,” Folayang said.
“He’s one of the most well-known martial artists in the world. In many ways, he’s a legend. Sharing the ring with him is my honor and privilege. At the same time, I don’t plan on backing down. He deserves the best challenge and I’m going to give it to him. I’m here to represent Asia in this battle between the East and the West.”
Folayang was one of the athletes who wanted to challenge Alvarez when he signed with ONE Championship last year. He shared that he is ready for an exceptional bout with his American equivalent.
“I’m going to go toe-to-toe with him. It’s going to be a war and a fight for the fans,” Folayang said. “Everyone’s going to love what we will do in the ring. I think it will be one of the most exciting fights of the year. Eddie always comes to fight and I never back down from a challenge. I’m ready to go.”
Both warriors are seeking redemption after their respective losses at ONE: A New Era and have their eyes on the same goal: the ONE Lightweight World Title. These warriors are two of the most powerful and compelling athletes on the international stage.
“I’m both spiritually and mentally ready for this fight,” Folayang concluded.
“Right now, we’re just polishing our skills, making sure I’m as sharp as possible on the day of the fight. No doubt, this is going to be one of the biggest challenges of my career. I never imagined I would be able to face a really big name and one of the most popular fighters in the world. I have to be on point so I can give a good performance. I have to be accurate and precise with my techniques.”
The bout between Alvarez and Folayang has just been upgraded to the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix Semi-finals after original participants Lowen Tynanes and Timofey Nastyukhin both fell to injury. So whoever wins between “The Underground King” and “Landslide” will move on to face the dangerous Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev in the tournament finals this October in Tokyo.
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