Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Eduard Folayang wants another crack at Eddie Alvarez and for good reasons.
The Filipino martial arts star lost to the ex-UFC and Bellator champion last August after nearly stopping him in the first 90 seconds of their ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix semifinal clash.
A snapping leg kick by Folayang had Alvarez down on the mat and looked done as the Team Lakay veteran went for the ground-and-pound.
But in a wild turn of events, Alvarez managed to gain the upper hand en route to submitting Folayang via rear-naked choke.
“[If I could face anybody], it’s definitely Eddie Alvarez,” Folayang said. “I want to face him again.”
A major what-if moment, Folayang couldn’t help but rue the lapses he made that led to that stunning loss.
“Back in our match, I had a lot of regrets. I made a lot of mistakes… If given the chance, I believe my performance would be a whole lot better,” Folayang, the former two-time ONE lightweight world champion, said.
“I definitely got careless in that match,” he admitted. “We expected Eddie to be more of a striker, so I was confident when the match hit the ground.
A victory over Alvarez in a possible rematch will also provide Folayang a much-needed boost in his bid for another title shot.
The 36-year-old Folayang has dropped three of his last four fights, including a split decision defeat to Pieter Buist last January in Manila.