Eduard Folayang vows he is not underestimating Amir Khan

Former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang is laser-focused on beating Amir Khan again when they meet inside the cage for a second time on the undercard of ONE Fight Night 14 on September 30 at Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Folayang, touted as the face of Philippine mixed martial arts, defeated Khan in their first meeting in 2018 to capture the then vacant ONE lightweight world title. He is looking to repeat his old success later this month and has acknowledged that his foe improved since they last fought.

“I am not underestimating his improvements [especially] a lot of things happened in my career. Looking at his previous fights, I still see his old moves,” said the 39-year-old MMA veteran.

“Maybe his mental aspect [is different] because he now has a family and child. There is perhaps maturity in the emotional aspect and how he wants to achieve his goals.”

Though confident that he can beat Khan again when they meet each other inside the cage, Folayang guarantees that he is in no way overlooking his upcoming fight even after beating Khan almost five years ago.

“I am not relaxed. I just answer interviews and questions honestly. I am not relaxing; we are preparing well. I know he will bring a lot of effort into this upcoming fight. I do not take that lightly. I am preparing the best version of myself when we meet again on September 30,” Folayang said.

Earlier this year, Folayang shocked the MMA world when he announced his departure from Team Lakay before forming his own team, Lions Nation MMA. Together with ex-ONE strawweight world champ Joshua Pacio, he also went on a training tour in the US to improve his game.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News