Photo from Eduard Folayang’s Instagram account
MANILA, Philippines—It wasn’t the first time Filipino MMA icon Eduard Folayang and Team Lakay stars met Manny Pacquiao but it’s not every day that they get to share the stage with the boxing legend.
Folayang, Geje Eustaquio, Joshua Pacio and coach Mark Sangiao on Monday joined Pacquiao as special guests in an event initiated by ONE Championship partner Grab Philippines at Mall of Asia Arena.
“It’s a great honor to be in the company of a boxing legend and hero in Philippine sports. It serves as a motivation for us to also do our part,” said Folayang, a two-time ONE lightweight champion, in Filipino.
Before becoming one of the greatest fighters in the sport, Pacquiao was a street vendor before turning to boxing at a young age of 14 as his means of survival.
Sangiao said Pacquiao’s incredible success story should be a reminder to everyone that dreams really do come true no matter how far-fetched it may seem.
“He’s one of those people we idolize. He did not expect to be in the position he’s in now but he really worked hard to get to this point.”
Sangiao hopes young Filipino athletes would draw inspiration from boxing’s only eight-division champion.
“I hope more Filipinos and our future champions will try and emulate him so that these kids will go on and become the Pacquiaos of MMA,” said Sangiao.