Eduard Folayang vs Shinya Aoki face off. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
SINGAPORE — It took five long years made of sweet victories and painful defeats, but mostly of hard work and determination before Eduard Folayang finally got his due.
But his most-awaited moment–a world title shot against ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki–is also his moment of truth. A make or break, now or never moment of sorts and he knows it.
“Make or break in the sense that this is what I have been waiting for. Throughout my career, I’ve waited long enough to be in this position,” Folayang told reporters in Filipino two nights before taking the stage in the main event of ONE: Defending Honor at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
At 31 years old, Folayang is at the peak of his game and there’s no better time for the Filipino MMA star than now.
“I can’t wait another five years to get another title shot. This is one of those that are once-in-a-lifetime and you really need to do your best to seize it.”
Facing his greatest challenge yet, Folayang is unshaken yet wary of what could go wrong.
Pitted against a high caliber fighter like Aoki, a legend in his own right, Folayang is left with a hairline margin for error.
“Fear is normal but your faith has to be stronger that you can get through anything.”