'Sexyama' turned down offer to fight Eduard Folayang at ONE 164 —source

Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama has turned down an offer to face former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang on December 3 at the Mall of Asia Arena, a source told GMA News Online.

Akiyama, a Japanese mixed martial arts veteran and former UFC fighter with a professional record of 16-7, is coming off back-to-back wins and last fought against former world champion Shinya Aoki last March where he won by way of technical knockout.

The 38-year-old Folayang, meanwhile, also saw action at ONE: X this past March where he defeated Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr in a three-round all-striking contest by way of unanimous decision.

According to the source, Folayang vs. Akiyama was initially planned for ONE Championship’s November 19 event in Singapore but was pushed back to the promotion’s first event in the Philippines since 2020 on December 3.

With Akiyama out of the picture, ONE Championship is looking for an opponent willing to face the Team Lakay superstar less than a month before the event.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News