Team Lakay featherweight contender Edward Kelly is seeking redemption in the Circle when he faces Egyptian foe Ahmed Faress in ONE: Full Blast, a tape-delayed event on May 28, Friday, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Bringing in a fresh and healthy mindset, Kelly believes he is in a "good place right now" both in physical and mental aspects after much reflection from his previous fights.
"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," said the 37-year-old Kelly, who holds a 12-8 record.
"I’m more motivated now to continue with my career. I want to redeem myself. I miss the thrill of competition and I’m super excited right now to step back into the Circle and give it my all."
READ: Team Lakay’s Edward Kelly recalls his moment of redemption with ’21 seconds’
Kelly was inactive last year when the COVID-19 pandemic first put the sporting world at a standstill.
Prior to that, the Team Lakay stalwart only secured one win -- against Sung Jong Lee of South Korea-- in his last four fights in 2019.
He lost to the likes of now reigning champion Christian Lee, Xie Bin, and Kai Tang.
READ: Team Lakay’s Edward Kelly tries luck in water refilling business
"I just feel like I lacked mental preparation for my recent bouts," said Kelly. "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."
Faress, a product of ONE Warrior Series, for his part, will mark his promotional debut against the Igorot warrior.
The Egyptian warrior, who owns a 16-3 record, used to compete in the Arabid Ultimate Fighting Championship (AUFC) and Bahrain-based promotion BRAVE Combat Federation.