Maria Sharapova will once again be a UN goodwill ambassador when her doping ban expires in April and she returns to international tennis competition, a UN statement said Thursday.

The United Nations had suspended Sharapova’s role as goodwill ambassador in March after she failed a drug test, putting a hold on a nine-year partnership with the UN Development Programme.

“UNDP was glad to learn that Maria Sharapova can return to the sport she loves sooner than expected and we will lift the suspension of her role as our goodwill ambassador once the reduced ban expires in April 2017,” said a UNDP spokesperson.

“We understand that Ms. Sharapova will be focused on resuming her tennis career and we look forward to discussing her role and engagement with UNDP at an appropriate date.” Last month, the Russian star’s 24-month ban for testing positive for meldonium was cut to 15 months by the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sharapova, 29, had admitted using meldonium for 10 years to help treat illnesses, a heart issue and a magnesium deficiency.

As a goodwill ambassador, Sharapova has been active in helping recovery efforts after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

The tennis sensation has made visits to Belarus and donated US$100,000 (S$141,130) to support youth projects in rural areas that suffer from the after-affects of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Sharapova’s family fled the city of Gomel in Belarus in 1987 after the Chernobyl disaster, moving to Siberia where the tennis star was born.

The family lived in Nyagan, Siberia for two years and then moved to Sochi on the Black Sea where Sharapova took her first tennis lessons.

This Friday, 11 November, Eduard “Landslide” Folayang (16-5) will challenge Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki (39-6, 1NC) for Aoki’s ONE Lightweight World Championship at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR. It is a title shot that has been a long time coming for the Filipino fighter.

Folayang, 32, was part of the very first ONE Championship live event five years ago, and has proven to be an integral part of the promotion’s success. Since joining ONE, Folayang has beaten top Asian fighters Felipe Enomoto, Vincent Latoel, Kotetsu Boku, Tetsuya Yamada, and Adrian Pang.

His last two performances — against Yamada and Pang — earned him a shot at ONE Championship gold. In those bouts, Folayang showcased tremendous improvement with his wrestling and grappling while employing intelligent game plans.

If Folayang can defeat Aoki in Singapore, it will send Filipino fight fans all around the world into a frenzy. Here are five reasons why Eduard Folayang would make a great champion.

#1 He is ever the humble warrior

Humility makes a great champion, and if Eduard Folayang beats Shinya Aoki, he will be sure to champion humility just as much.

A former high school teacher, Folayang has the makings of a real people’s champion. His humble background is a compelling story of a boy growing up in tragically impoverished circumstances in rural Philippines who had a dream to become a world champion in MMA.

The soft-spoken warrior from the north regularly quotes Bible verses and wishes his opponents well inside the cage before taking them apart with his impeccable striking. There is not a bone of brashness inside Folayang’s body, and it shows with the level of respect he gives his foes.

Against Aoki, Folayang refers to his Japanese counterpart as a “living legend” and has often revered Aoki’s accomplishments in MMA. Make no mistake about it, however, whether or not Folayang holds his opponent in high regard is irrelevant to his performance on fight night.

Folayang will fight the only way he knows how, and that’s behind intelligent use of his striking and wrestling.

#2 He is the face of Filipino MMA

Eduard Folayang has long been the face of Filipino MMA. Before joining ONE Championship in 2011, Folayang had plied his craft in various Asian MMA promotions, taking on some of the best fighters in the region and even claimed a Filipino championship.

His name became synonymous with MMA in the country, and he later popularized Baguio City’s famous Team Lakay, a talented group of individuals well-versed in the art of wushu.

The Philippines’ MMA scene is young and still in its relative infancy although it is certainly on the rise. Much of its success has stemmed from veterans like Folayang who have been in the fight game for a long time.

All of Folayang’s hard work will culminate in his bout for Aoki’s world title belt. For one, Folayang relishes the opportunity to be considered the flag-bearer for Filipino MMA. Folayang refers to the title as a privilege, being able to represent the country on the international stage of mixed martial arts.

Of course, having a massive fan base comes with the territory. Filipinos are known to rally behind their sports stars, no matter the sport. Folayang could do for MMA what eight-division boxing world champion Manny Pacquiao did for boxing in the Philippines.

If Folayang becomes champion, expect fans to answer his call for unity as well.

#3 He showcases the ancient art of wushu

The 32-year-old Folayang was always into combat sports and martial arts as a youth growing up in the high altitudes of Baguio City. Before becoming a mixed martial arts star, Folayang was once a champion wushu practitioner.

If Folayang becomes ONE Lightweight World Champion, he will have showcased the ancient striking art front and center. Folayang has won several international wushu tournaments over the course of his career, which includes three gold medals at the SEA Games. In one of the Games’ finals, Folayang even won via a spectacular spinning back kick knockout which will be remembered for years.

Folayang as the ONE Lightweight World Champion would bring all of these accomplishments to light and introduce the MMA world to wushu.

#4 He is full of action and excitement

Say what you will about his skills. You can criticize his team’s lack of Brazilian jiu-jitsu accolades. You can even question his ability to finish opponents in MMA. But what you cannot knock is the way Folayang brings action and excitement to the cage.

Every time Folayang goes to battle, he aims to bring the crowd up to their feet. His fan-friendly style surely helps, as wushu is a striking art which makes use of flashy punches and kicks. But even more importantly, Folayang has that Filipino warrior mindset — that you-will-have-to-drag-me-out-of-here approach to fighting that produces absolute classics.

The thrill factor is never lacking in any of Folayang’s fights. Given the chance to stand and trade, Folayang will definitely oblige. Even in losses, Folayang has performed to the delight of fans.

A champion who leaves it all in the cage is exactly what this sport needs. Asian MMA fans are looking for action and excitement above all. If Asia can have an MMA world champion that brings these two elements night in and night out, the sport will be in great hands.

Five years ago, when you thought of Singapore, chances are mixed martial arts (MMA) never even crossed your mind. The world’s fastest growing sport was more ingrained in western culture at the time, and Asian MMA was mostly based in Japan.

Today, MMA has enjoyed explosive growth all across Asia, with ONE Championship holding blockbuster sold-out events in major cities across the region, with new countries being added every year. And it all started on one fateful night in Singapore.

This Friday night, 11 November, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, ONE Championship returns to the lion city with ONE: DEFENDING HONOR — a terrifically stacked fight card featuring the absolute best in local and international MMA talent.

Fans have lots of reasons to catch the event live or on pay-per-view. Let’s take a look at the top reasons to watch ONE: DEFENDING HONOR.

Spectacular main and co-main events

A fight card is only as good as its main event. In this case, we have a spectacular co-main event as well.

Two title bouts will cap off what promises to be an amazing evening of world-class MMA action. ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki takes on Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in the main event, and in the bout prior to that ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov rematches former champion Narantungalag “Tungaa” Jadambaa.

Both fights feature an interesting clashes of styles and compelling back stories, and fans will definitely not be disappointed with the action that will take place inside the ONE Championship cage.

Both match-ups feature the classic striker versus grappler premise, with Aoki and Gafurov playing the role of masterful ground technicians while Folayang and Jadambaa enter the cage as dynamic strikers.

All four warriors do not know how to back down. This is a tremendous treat for true fight fans, which is why we will all be on the edge of our seats when the lights dim and the show is underway.

We all know the main event will be talked about for years once its completion, but pay close attention to the co-main event between Gafurov and Jadambaa too, because if their first encounter is any indication of what we will witness tomorrow night, then we are definitely in for a wild ride.

Jadambaa is one of the hardest punchers in the world and one of the toughest men on the planet. Gafurov dug deep into his spirit just to overcome such a monstrous challenge the first time around, and he will have to do the same thing once more in order to emerge victorious.

Local Singaporean MMA stars

Along with the rise of MMA in Asia, is the rise of the sport on local shores in Singapore. Over the past few years, various MMA gyms have opened up all over the country and are available to pretty much everyone who walks through their doors. Naturally, this phenomenon has given birth to homegrown MMA stars.

There are four Singaporean MMA athletes competing at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR. Amir Khan and Benedict Ang are regulars, while Niko Soe and Tiffany “Soul Crusher” Teo are promotional newcomers.

Khan and Ang are members of the Evolve Fight Team, perhaps Asia’s most prestigious MMA fight team currently. They both have great records for young fighters and are incredibly skilled martial artists. Khan is a crisp and dynamic striker, while Ang is more of an all-around fighter. Soe also began his pro-MMA career with a solid record.

However, the biggest story among them is that of 26-year-old Tiffany Teo, who celebrates her 27th birthday on fight night. What’s more, she has an admirable day job as a therapist for children with special needs.

Teo began her professional MMA career late, but has already amassed an unblemished 3-0 pro-record. She is set to step inside the ONE Championship cage for the first time in front of her friends and family. The young female MMA fighter appears ready for her debut on the big stage, and the country is on the verge of having a new star.