Eduard Folayang, Eddie Alvarez now battle for ticket to ONE Lightweight Grand Prix finals
The headliners of ONE: Dawn of Heroes on August 2.
MANILA, Philippines—The stakes are even higher for Eduard Folayang and Eddie Alvarez as their highly-anticipated bout on August 2 got upgraded to a semifinal clash in the ONE Lightweight Grand Prix.
The match between Timofey Nastyukhin, who was sidelined with a knee injury, and Honorio Banario got scrapped, paving way for an even bigger battle for a spot in the Grand Prix finals between the Team Lakay bet and the American mixed martial arts legend.
“I’m excited because now we’re officially part of the Grand Prix, but of course I have to win. All of that won’t mean anything if I don’t win,” said Folayang, arguably the face of MMA in the Philippines.
With another opportunity for a title shot in sight, Folayang vows to be in the best shape when he takes on Alvarez, who is eager to get back on track after a shock first round loss in March, in the ONE: Dawn of Heroes at Mall of Asia Arena.
“The mindset is to get in there, win, and beat a big name. That’s the aim, that’s the goal,” Folayang said. “I wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place, and I’m happy for this opportunity. Now it’s all about making the most of it.”
The victor between Folayang and Alvarez sets up a showdown against Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev in the Grand Prix final, where the winner will get a chance at the Christian Lee’s world title.
