Eduard Folayang, right, and ONE lightweight champion Shinya Aoki meet face to face during the Official Face-off for ONE: Defending Honor. Photo from ONE Championship Facebook account
SINGAPORE — The odds may be stacked against Eduard Folayang but his longtime coach Mark Sangiao believes his prized ward is ripe for the world title.
Folayang faces lightweight champion Shinya Aoki in the Filipino star’s very first title shot at ONE: Defending Honor Friday night.
“Maganda naging preparation ni Eduard. Pinaghandaan niya ng husto ito. Ito yung time na binigay sa kanya yung title shot and according to Eduard, ayaw niya palampasin ito,” said Sangiao on the eve of fight night at Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Tingin namin ito na yung time niya,” Sangiao said.
Folayang, who waited five years before getting a crack at the championship, is a heavy underdog against Aoki.
But no matter how formidable Aoki appears, Sangiao sees the Japanese legend as beatable especially against Folayang.
“Alam natin yon si Shinya legend siya sa grappling and maganda leg takedowns niya. Pinaghandaan namin ni Eduard yung wrestling and grappling niya,” he said. “Nakikita ko yung confidence nya na buong buo at kung gaano kasipag si Eduard sa training.”
“Nakita natin mga panalo ni Shinya, but this is MMA and anything can happen at pinaghandaan natin ito ng mabuti.”