Amir Khan will always have the utmost respect for former two-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion and old foe Eduard “Landslide” Folayang.
But if the Filipino comes into their lightweight MMA tilt thinking he can beat Khan again, then the Singaporean has a nasty surprise for him.
Five years since their initial matchup, Khan and Folayang clash anew at ONE Fight Night 14: Stamp vs. Ham inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium on September 30, and Khan is urging the 39-year-old to take him seriously.
“From what I see in his interviews, it’s like this is a given for him [to win this rematch], like he already beat me once, so it’s easy to just get a win again and restart his career,” he told ONE Championship.
“But if he takes this fight in this manner and not in a serious manner, then I feel like things will not go his way.”
Sure, when it comes to experience and ring savviness, Folayang has him beat. But Khan is confident that at this point of their careers, he’s in much better physical condition than Folayang.
“Mentally, and from a strategic point of view, he might be better because as you get more experience, you get to improve your skill set. But if you talk about physical attributes, definitely he’s past his prime,” he said.
If Khan feels like Folayang is taking him lightly, then he promises not to make the same mistake as the Filipino legend.
For the Evolve MMA star, he’s working and grinding like there’s gold at stake.
“I will treat this match the same as how I would approach a World Title match. I know he’s been on a skid, but he’s still a legend of the sport,” he said.
“I feel that this win is very important for my career. So I’m really focused and doing everything that I can to make sure that I get the W.”