Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang believes that he has learned a lot from his loss to Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, and those lessons will be key when they put a lid on their rivalry this Thursday, April 29.
The pair of lightweight greats will compete for the third, and possibly last, time on the lead card “ONE on TNT IV,” which airs live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium at 8:30 a.m. on One Sports.
The Filipino icon believes he got too relaxed in their second match in 2018, resulting in Aoki taking the first round submission win to even their personal series at one apiece.
For Folayang, it’s all about learning from the mistakes he made in Japan on that night.
“Before that match, I already saw that he won via arm triangle against Ev Ting, but I became too confident that I can defend that,” he said.
“I overlooked just how good Shinya is when he gets the opportunity. The moment he gets his hands locked together, you’re done. That’s one thing I truly overlooked.
“I also got too casual with my kicks, and that’s what Shinya capitalized on to get me to the ground. Against him, you don’t want to be on the mat, but that’s what happened, and that’s what we want to avoid.”
Save for the things he needs to work on from the second bout, “Landslide” expects a lot of the same tactics from the Japanese legend this time around.
Moreover, while this matchup was a late addition to the card after their original respective opponents pulled out, the 36-year-old Filipino believes the adjustment will be mitigated by their familiarity with each other.
“We’re already preparing for what Shinya plans to do, and knowing him, he plans to get the fight to the ground as early as possible. Now we’re working double-time to prevent a battle on the ground, and we’re also working on what to do just in case we’re there,” Folayang said.
“On our part, we’re looking for ways to strike Shinya when the match remains standing. As much as possible, if there’s an opening for the finish, make no mistake that we’re going for that.”
If Folayang ends up on top, he’ll be the first person to beat Aoki twice in a trilogy.
But it’s not just that distinction he’s after—he’s still gunning for the World Title, and he believes that beating fourth-ranked Aoki will get him closer to it.
“This means a lot. Winning a trilogy against a legend of the sport, someone who’s adored by many people, will be a big thing for my legacy,” Folayang said.
“Aside from that, given that Shinya is still in the top five of the division, it will also silence the critics and hopefully push me to another run for the World Title.”
Catch “ONE on TNT IV” on ONE Sports or ONE Sports+ at 8:30 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Thursday, April 29.
Both ONE Sports and ONE Sports+ will have an encore showing at 8:30 p.m. PHT on Friday, April 30.
Also, there will be an encore showing on TV5 at 12 a.m. PHT on Sunday, May 2.