Team Lakay's Edward Kelly recalls his moment of redemption with '21 seconds'
By Carlo Anolin
It was still crystal clear for Edward Kelly of the famed Team Lakay how he found his best redeeming moment as a mixed martial artist.
That wouldn't be possible without this significant number: 21.
Kelly etched history in ONE Championship after knocking down Cambodian foe Meas Meul with a lethal head kick -- a high knee to be exact -- in January 2018.
He only needed 21 seconds to mark the promotion's fastest knockout in the featherweight division, not to mention that the Filipino crowd witnessed the historic moment at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Those 21 seconds cemented the legacy of Kelly, who now holds a 12-8 MMA record. Were it not for that victory, maybe he would've decided to call his career quits.
"Sobrang tuwang-tuwa ako noon. Instant kong naramdaman 'yung plano ni Lord , the 36-year-old Kelly told Manila Bulletin in a recent interview. "Talagang kung may plano si Lord sa'yo, mangyayari 'yun."
Prior to that fight, Kelly recalled how he went into a dark place and admitted that he felt "down" most of the time.
After three consecutive wins in 2016, Kelly only had one fight prepared August the following year, where he eventually lost to American Emilio Urrutia via unanimous decision. That's when things began spiraling down for the Filipino fighter.
"'Yun 'yung time na down ako. wala na ata akong maipapakita. Tapos sa training sessions parang gulo-gulo ko," Kelly recalled. "'Di ko makuha 'yung condition na gusto ko at parang hindi ako confident sa training ko."
Still, the 5-foot-9 Igorot warrior took a leap of faith until the unexpected happened.
After finishing Meul, Kelly was still in a state of shock and took a moment of silence instead. He sat down. He roamed around the Circle. He put his hand on top of his head, still wondering the swift turn of events.
It took him a few seconds before the thought of winning came into his mind and finally mustered up the courage to celebrate and scream at the top of his lungs. Many have witnessed the softer side of "The Ferocious."
"Naging sobrang emotional ko," recalled a teary-eyed Kelly, who was joined and congratulated by coach Mark Sangiao and teammate Eduard Folayang.
At the time when the ring girls were awarding him the ONE Championship medal, Kelly was still wiping off his tears while trying his best to flash a smile worthy of victory.
When they came back to the Lakay Central Gym in La Trinidad, Benguet, as the saying goes, the rest is history. Since then, he earned a new moniker in being "Kuya 21" of Team Lakay.