Eduard Folayang meets with GAB chief
Published Mar 27, 2023 09:38 am
While former ONE Lightweight World Champion [Eduard “Landslide” Folayang](https://www.onefc.com/athletes/eduard-folayang/) is away from active competition, he’s spending his time being the ultimate spokesperson for mixed martial arts.
Last week, Folayang represented mixed martial arts in a talk with Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Richard Clarin to talk not only about his career but how to better safeguard professional MMA fighters in the Philippines.
While MMA has been on an upward trajectory in the country, Filipino MMA fighters could be better protected in their respective careers, and Folayang made sure to hammer that point home in his meeting with Clarin.
“I am thrilled that we had a smooth conversation with Chairman Clarin. I felt how welcoming GAB is, which signifies a good sign for all professional athletes,” he said.
“We were also assured by the chairman himself that he will listen to our concerns and safeguard our welfare. In fact, they even said it doesn't stop at handing out licenses.”
Folayang shared that this meeting turned out to be really fruitful, given that he saw how the new regulatory board chief is looking to learn more about the sport – something that is still generally new to older sports officials.
“I appreciate Chairman Clarin because you really feel his effort to know more about the sport,” he said.
“I believe he is taking a proactive approach since he's looking into the needs of MMA at all levels. This is encouraging for the MMA community in the country.”
All in all, “Landslide” is grateful for the openness of Clarin in this dialogue, believing that it’s not only him and ONE Championship athletes who will benefit from the conversation but Filipino MMA athletes in general.
Personally, having a sports official like Clarin also puts him in a good position to chase for further glory in the latter stages of his career.
“The fact that there are people like Chairman Clarin who have open doors and do not have second thoughts to listen to us is heartwarming. He wants to remind us of our rights as professional athletes,” he said.
“This development gives me a good reason to move forward, given that I am in the new phase of my career. Coming straight from him that he has my back, that's enough for me to keep working even better.”