ONE Championship returns to the lion city this Friday, 11 November, for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

The main event will feature the return of ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki, as he takes on Filipino fighting sensation Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in a five-round title tilt.

There are also four homegrown Singaporean talents on showcase all throughout the evening as fans flock to the arena in support of their local heroes. Overall, the card promises compelling bouts and action-packed affairs as the best fighters in the world take to the ONE Championship cage to show off their skills.

As always, we delve deeper into some of the matchups and take a look at what’s at stake for fighters the fighters of ONE: DEFENDING HONOR.

Shinya Aoki vs Eduard Folayang

It has been a long time coming for the Philippines’ top lightweight. Folayang has braved highs and lows through his mixed martial arts career, conscientiously exerting the effort to improve his ground game towards becoming more of a complete fighter.

He had always been an exceptional striker, but after spending months in the United States going from gym to gym learning what he could from some of the world’s best wrestlers, Folayang came back with a newfound confidence on the mats.

He will figure in his first shot at the ONE Lightweight World Championship this Friday, but it will come against the greatest Asian lightweight in history — Shinya Aoki.

A lot is at stake here for both fighters. Aoki, who has been stopped before by capable strikers, risks breaking his nine-fight winning streak and relinquishing his title. He is still considered one of MMA’s best grapplers, and will utilize his Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo skills to test Folayang’s mettle.

Folayang, on the other hand, has been waiting for this opportunity. For all intents and purposes, Folayang appears supremely confident of victory and will not hold anything back against Aoki.

It should be an entertaining contest, one that fight fans will enjoy assuredly, regardless of who wins.

Marat Gafurov vs Narantungalag Jadambaa

Their first fight was just absolutely incredible, and filled with drama the first time they met back in 2015. Marat Gafurov and Narantungalag Jadambaa, arguably the top two featherweights in Asia at the moment, went to war in a highly-memorable epic bout.

Gafurov, with his robust grappling skill set, did just enough to outlast Jadambaa, who had made his strength felt with thunderous strikes and nearly finishing Gafurov earlier in the bout. However, the Russian dug deep, and secured the fight-ending choke in the fourth round.

Their rematch promises much of the same action for fans, although both fighters insist things will be different this time around. One thing is for certain— it is almost guaranteed this fight will be the most entertaining contest of the night. Styles make fights, and these two champions have it in world-beating abundance.

At stake is obviously the ONE Featherweight World Championship, which Gafurov now holds. He took it from Jadambaa last year, and now the Mongolian wants it back.

If Jadambaa is able to regain his title, expect a third and final bout to settle the score. If Gafurov successfully defends the belt, however, it should legitimize him even more as a bonafide MMA superstar.

Roger Huerta vs Adrian Pang

The last time we saw him, fans thought that “El Matador” Roger Huerta was pretty much done But he is back, and against top lightweight Adrian Pang, no less.

Pang is of course one of the strongest fighters at lightweight, with a rock-solid chin and overwhelming strength. The way he manhandles opponents and walks through shots is just unexplainable. Against Huerta, Pang will be facing a dynamic striker capable of swift offense from various angles.

Eduard Folayang was able to keep Pang at bay with a plethora of strikes from the outside, a strategy which Huerta will most likely attempt to replicate. Huerta will have to keep fresh for three rounds and stay away from Pang though, who would want to close the gap.

This is an opportunity for Huerta to erase the memory of his last bout, when he was badly beaten by Ariel Sexton. Both Pang and Huerta are coming off losses, so a victory would definitely right their course. Unfortunately, only one man can exit the cage with a win.

Fans can expect an awesome matchup that should be filled with thrilling action.

Rest of the card

Among the other fights to watch out for at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR is the lightweight contest between Russian fighter Timofey Nastyukhin and Japanese veteran Kotetsu Boku.

Both fighters are certified knockout artists. Nastyukhin owns the edge in power obviously, known for his very fast and furious finishes inside the ONE Championship cage, but Boku is one of the best boxers in the game and owns a style that is difficult to pin down.

Also Singaporean female mixed martial artist Tiffany Teo is making her promotional debut. A lot attention has been placed on her first bout with ONE Championship, as Singapore is currently without an active female MMA fighter.

Young Singaporean lions Amir Khan, Benedict Ang, and Niko Soe will also be coming up against tough opponents. All in all, ONE: DEFENDING HONOR has a list of exciting bouts that fans will definitely appreciate.

Filipino lightweight veteran Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of Baguio City, Philippines, has long been one of the premier mixed martial artists to come out of the nation of the three stars and the sun. His accolades have piled on for as many years as he has been in the fight game.

Over the course of his illustrious near decade-long career, the 32-year-old Folayang has had his fair share of high and low points. He’s been through it all, sharing with his legion of fans the unmistakeable pain of defeat, and the undeniably sweet taste of triumph.

Now, after all that has happened in his journey to a shot at a world title in MMA, his quest for supremacy finally comes to a close.

This Friday, 11 November, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, Folayang reaches the pinnacle of the mountain he has been climbing for the greater part of the last few years. It will however, come against a legendary Japanese warrior who goes by the name of Shinya Aoki.

Folayang and Aoki headline ONE: DEFENDING HONOR in front of a throng of Singaporean MMA fans who are thirsty for action. The five-round lightweight contest will be for Aoki’s ONE Lightweight World Championship belt.

Before the two clash at the center of the ONE cage, let’s take a moment to appreciate the fine work Folayang has put in over the years. Here are four of Eduard Folayang’s best performances to date.

#1 Folayang defeats Adrian Pang at ONE: HEROES OF THE WORLD, 13 August 2016

In perhaps the finest performance of his career, Folayang took on Australian brawler Adrian “The Hunter” Pang in what was expected to be an instant classic. The bigger, stronger Pang was a fearsome finisher who had previously stopped more than half of the opponents he had wins over.

Pang was known for his amazing ability to walk through the line of fire and come out unscathed, unleashing his own barrage of punishing blows on lesser men who simply could not take the heat.

Those who own victories over Pang have either had to survive the onslaught as best as they could, or beat Pang to the punch.

When Folayang was tasked with having to take on such an esteemed opponent, many did not know what to expect. Fans knew Folayang possessed the skills necessary for victory, but did not know if he could handle Pang’s power.

All doubt quickly dissipated as the two clashed from the opening moments of round one. Folayang, behind his world-class wushu stance, repeatedly tagged Pang with a plethora of striking techniques which included spinning back fists, wushu sidekicks, and high-level boxing. 

He hurt Pang on numerous occasions, and kept him out of range with a steady stream of offense that never stopped. In times when the fight went to the mat, Folayang’s improved grappling shone through, frustrating Pang to no end.

It was the most thorough performance of Folayang’s career, and it could not have come at a better time. After his impressive unanimous decision victory over Pang, Folayang earned himself a shot at ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki’s belt.

#2 Folayang defeats Tetsuya Yamada at ONE: CLASH OF HEROES, 29 January 2016

When Eduard Folayang was scheduled to face top Japanese lightweight prospect Tetsuya Yamada, his opponent was riding the high of a seven-fight win streak. At the time, Yamada hadn’t experienced defeat in nearly four years, beating seven straight opponents while stopping four of them.

Folayang, on the other hand, had just come from one of the most heartbreaking setbacks of his career — a first round knockout loss to Russian newcomer Timofey Nastyukhin.

The scouting report on Yamada showed that even though the Japanese stalwart had more knockout wins than submissions, his ground game was most certainly on point. If the bout had happened years prior, Folayang would have been in trouble.

However, ahead of the bout, much of Folayang’s training had been focused on improving his wrestling and grappling. The Filipino star even spent the majority of the past year traveling to the United States, going from gym to gym to learn what he could in order to enhance his grappling skills.

The end result was a highly-improved version of Folayang, who now possessed a firm understanding of the ground arts. And in an impressive performance, Folayang used every bit of his newfound knowledge to good use, utilizing his wrestling to control Yamada on the ground en route to a satisfying decision win.

Folayang showcased tremendous defensive wrestling and mat control, foiling any attempt by Yamada to seek out submissions and effectively neutralizing him as a ground threat.

#3 Folayang defeats Kotetsu Boku at ONE: RISE OF HEROES, 2 May 2014

Kotetsu Boku had a reputation to uphold. The former ONE Lightweight World Champion was a crafty veteran and one of the best strikers in ONE Championship. Boku had triumphed over talented fighters such as Vincent Latoel, Major Overall, and Zorobabel Moreira.

He was known to possess some of the best boxing skills in Asian MMA, and it had been on display in each of his wins. With Boku, there was always a lingering sense that you couldn’t simply go punch for punch with him. All of Boku’s wins in ONE Championship have been by scintillating knockout, and Folayang wasn’t about to take Boku lightly.

So when boxing and wushu met at the center of the cage, fans knew the evening was going to be something special.

Featuring his famous wushu base once again, Folayang blasted Boku with his trademark variety of striking. Spinning back kicks, swinging fists, and painful knees in the clinch worked very well for Folayang for the majority of the bout.

Boku held his own, but simply was not as strong as Folayang. The striking skills were pretty, but the sheer strength of Folayang shone through. It was an instant classic, one that fans will not soon forget. If you want to see an action-packed fight, do yourself a favor and watch a replay of this matchup. You will not regret it.

This performance highlighted the fact that Folayang is not just a highly-technical striker, he is also freakishly strong too.

#4 Folayang defeats Vincent Latoel at ONE: MOMENT OF TRUTH, 6 December 2013

Vincent Latoel, Dutch-Indonesian MMA veteran, was somewhat of a fitness freak. He did not possess the raw talent and potential as some of his more high-profile peers, but what Latoel always banked on was that he was the hardest worker in the cage.

Although he had finished the majority of his opponents, Latoel has always had to rely on his impressive cardio and ability to outwork foes to get the victory. If you were not able to hang with him until the end of the bout, Latoel would find a way to finish you.

So when Eduard Folayang accepted the challenge to face Latoel, he knew full well that he had to be in the best condition possible.

Training in the high-altitudes of Baguio City, Philippines, Folayang is one of the most well-conditioned athletes in the country, regardless of sport. His hard-working attitude is the stuff of legend. Folayang, as Latoel discovered the hard way, is one of only a handful of fighters that you can definitely say comes out of a bout as fresh as he goes in.

Which is particularly surprising, and undeniably impressive. Folayang’s wushu style is one that demands a boundless reservoir of energy.

The amount of energy expended launching spinning head kicks, moving back and forth and side to side constantly while unleashing lightning-quick and powerful strikes is unfathomable, yet Folayang seems to keep his offensive output constant throughout.

In a very rare instance, Latoel found himself unable to match an opponent with conditioning, and Folayang ended up dominating him from the middle of the bout.

As Timofey Nastyukhin (10-2) boarded a plane to fly from snowy Novokuznetsk, Russia, to Singapore for his next MMA bout, the fighter confessed his hopes for ONE Championship, the promotion that signed him three years ago, to host its first event on Russian soil soon. 

“As a Russian fighter who performs on the international arena, I’ve always dreamt of once fighting in front of my home crowd, of showing my fans what I can do,” said Nastyukhin.

In his interviews, Nastyukhin has always praised ONE for organizing spectacular shows and being very professional in this regard. 

“I’ve always been given great opportunities to fight often and against strong, challenging opponents,” said Nastyukhin. “My fan base in Russia has grown a lot since I got signed by ONE. Sadly, these days due to the global economic crisis, not many people choose to travel to exotic places like Myanmar or Thailand just for an MMA show. 

“With more Russian fighters getting signed by ONE it will soon make sense to host an event in Russia.”

He has no doubt that such an event would be a success, as Russian-speaking audiences also include MMA fans from Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and other former Soviet Union countries, and traveling in the region is more affordable. 

“With fighters like (ONE Middleweight World Champion) Vitaly Bigdash, (ONE Featherweight World Champion) Marat Gafurov, (former ONE Middleweight World Champion) Igor Svirid, and myself, amongst others, ONE has a great choice of potential headliners for the event,” he adds.

Nastyukhin would like Russian MMA lovers to get a chance to witness his signature aggressive style live in the audience rather than on TV. And what a show it could be. 

None of Nastyukhin’s 10 professional wins to date have gone past the first round, with all coming by way of stoppage. Last time we saw Nastyukhin inside the ONE Championship cage, he knocked out his opponent Rob Lisita (14-9) in just 6 seconds, tying the ONE Championship record for fastest knockout.

Was it a deliberately planned scenario, perfectly executed in punishment for an incident in 2014 when Lisita missed weight and left Nastyukhin with no opponent after a gruelling fight camp in Thailand? 

“No, I had no ill will in regards to Rob (Lisita),” assures Nastyukhin. “I respect all my opponents, but I always fight aggressively and try finishing fights early. 

“It’s my style, this is how I’ve been trained since a very young age. We worked on this particular element, and I automatically used it when an opportunity presented itself. 

“It just happened that I got a chance right at the start of our bout.”

Now that he is back on the winning track, the Novokuznetsk native would like to see himself fighting for the belt and becoming a world champion again. 

“I didn’t join ONE to be one of those fighters, who make up the numbers on the roster,” claims the Russian confidently. “I am a FILA Pankration Champion and I want to get to the top of ONE.”

However, the promotion’s featherweight division is not short of talent — one of Nastyukhin’s main challenges is featured on the same card as the co-main event of the night. His name is Marat Gafurov, the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion from Dagestan, Russia. 

Gafurov is also heading to Singapore to defend his belt in a highly-anticipated rematch against the man he took the belt from, Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia. 

“I’ve been following Marat’s journey in MMA. He is a great fighter, a very respectful person. It is clear that he is very strong on the ground,” says Nastyukhin of his end goal. 

“Here you have a superb potential for a show, as I am a great striker. We should be able to give a spectacular fight. If ONE offers me to challenge Marat for the belt, I will gladly accept the challenge.”

First, however, Nastyukhin has to get past the challenge that is the veteran Boku.

As for the prospect of ONE Championship going to Russia, it may not be such a farfetched notion. Russia has a strong interest in MMA with fighters in regional promotions like M-1 Global, Akhmat, and ACB (Absolute Championship Berkut) being well-known internationally. 

With central Asia making up the most of Russia’s territory, it might make sense for the biggest MMA promotion in Asia to soon cross the Russian border.