Former ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang is one of the many people excited for the next ONE Championship event.
Currently in offseason after his victorious transition to ONE Super Series in March at ONE X, the beloved Filipino MMA star is anticipating a great night of fights when The Home of Martial Arts returns to action with ONE 159: De Ridder vs. Bigdash on July 22 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
“Landslide” believes the main event between ONE Middleweight World Champion Reinier De Ridder and Vitaly Bigdash will steal the show.
“I’m just training while waiting for the upcoming events. I’m excited for them. We have a great line-up ahead this July and August. So now that’s what I’m looking forward to,” Folayang said.
While he expects a competitive match from the two, the Team Lakay star thinks De Ridder has the advantage.
‘Til now, no one has been able to figure out the puzzle that is De Ridder, who’s currently unbeaten in 15 matches, owning four wins via finishes in ONE.
“I think it’s still going to be De Ridder. Looking at his reach advantage and his technical brilliance on the ground, I think he still has the edge,” Folayang said.
That doesn’t mean he expects a shutout.
One of the craftiest fighters in the promotion, Bigdash certainly has the tools to make the match interesting, and for Folayang, it all depends on whether he can keep the match standing.
Though nowhere near the level of De Ridder in jiu-jitsu, Bigdash can also roll on the ground, which could be just enough for him to defend.
While Folayang is taking De Ridder in this match, he also sees a possibility where the Russian could end up pulling the upset rug from underneath the Combat Brothers representative.
“If Bigdash keeps this fight on the feet, he’ll get the advantage,” Folayang said.
“He has great striking, so if he can keep it there, he’ll have a good chance to win. On the ground, he’s no pushover as well – although De Ridder is definitely more technical when it comes to the ground.”
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‘In A Heartbeat’ – Aung La N Sang Would Love To Fight Reinier De Ridder, Vitaly Bigdash Again