“There is still competition for both of us” - Eduard Folayang says he and rival Shinya Aoki will prove they still have gas left in the tank
Eduard Folayang believes he and Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki have plenty of fight left in them.
On Sunday, March 23, two of ONE Championship's most revered lightweights will step back onto martial arts' biggest global stage for a high-stakes scrap at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodang inside the iconic Saitama Super Arena.
Between them, the two 41-year-olds have an impressive 42 career fights combined, but both 'Landslide' and 'Tobikan Judan' believe they are far from done in the sport.
During a recent interview with The MMA Superfan, Folayang suggested that both he and Aoki are competitors at heart and still have something to prove inside the Circle.
"In a match, no matter what sport it is, you can’t really take away the competition aspect of it," Folayang said. "For me, there is still competition for both of us. He wants to prove something, I want to prove something as well."
Eduard Folayang looks to even series against Shinya Aoki at ONE 172
ONE 172 will host the fourth-ever meeting between Folayang and Aoki.
Aoki surrendered the ONE lightweight MMA world championship to Folayang in their inaugural bout at ONE: Defending Honor in November 2016. Folayang won the bout via a third-round TKO.
Two and a half years later they would run it back at ONE: A New Era in Tokyo. This time, it was 'Tobikan Judan' who would come out on top to reclaim the lightweight world title. Two years later, they would meet once again at ONE on TNT IV in Singapore.
Aoki closed out the trilogy with a first-round submission victory over Folayang just past the four-minute mark.
Now, the two lightweight legends will start a new chapter as they meet for the fourth time inside one of the most beloved arenas in the world.
ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang will emanate from the Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Sunday, March 23. Head over to watch.onefc.com to learn more about how you can watch the event live.