FILE — Edward Kelly. INQUIRER PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Feeling rejuvenated, Edward Kelly hopes the long layoff will lead to a better result in his return to the ONE Circle.
Kelly last saw action in November 2019 when he lost to Tang Kai via unanimous decision—his third setback in four bouts.
But he gets the opportunity to turn his fortunes around when he faces Ahmed Faress of Egypt in ONE: Full Blast, a tape-delayed event at Singapore Indoor Stadium that airs on Friday.
The show goes on with a prerecorded lineup of all-action bouts on 28 May! 🔥 Don’t miss Saemapetch and Kulabdam’s Muay Thai main event clash and MORE at ONE: FULL BLAST! #ONEFullBlast #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/963DdrGd4p
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) May 21, 2021
“After that last loss, I sat down with the team and we really went through everything. We dissected every aspect of my game, and we were able to discover a few things I needed to work on. Everyone from Coach Mark [Sangiao] to all my teammates, we discussed how to move forward. Like we always say, we either win or we learn, and this was a learning experience,” Kelly said.
“I just feel like I lacked mental preparation for my recent bouts. The physical training has always been good and I’m always in the best shape possible, but my mind wasn’t in the right place and I just couldn’t execute. Now that we’ve taken the steps to fix that, I feel so much better. I feel like a new fighter.
At 36, the Team Lakay veteran continues to learn from his mistakes and become a better fighter with each learning experience.
“I was much too tense in my previous fights. I need to let loose and unleash the ferociousness inside of me. I think I’m in a good place right now, physically and mentally,” Kelly said.
“The time off I’ve had was great in the sense that I was able to do a lot of self-reflection. I really came to terms with where my career is at, and mentally I feel stronger than ever. I’m more motivated now to continue with my career. I want to redeem myself.”