Eduard “Landslide” Folayang admitted that he was surprised when he was offered a rematch against Amir Khan five years after their initial fight, but it excites him to meet his old Singaporean foe nonetheless.

Folayang looks for a classic performance when they tangle in a lightweight MMA bout at ONE Fight Night 14 on 30 September from inside the Singapore Indoor Stadium. 

Having gone through a rough few years in the world of mixed martial arts, Folayang believes that this is the perfect opportunity to get back into the saddle.  

“At first, I was a bit surprised. I wasn’t really expecting to face Amir Khan again but, for me, it’s good that I get to face him again. I want to see the improvements that I had, the new things that I can bring out in the fight itself,” he said. 

“So yeah, there’s excitement and surprise. Honestly, I didn’t think that we’d be facing again five years later, but it’s a fight for me to take, and I’m very happy to compete again.”

Folayang believes that there’s no better way for him to make a statement than now, especially with how busy he’s been over the past few months.

In that stretch, “Landslide” spent months in the United States to train with various gyms and coaches before opening a gym of his own, Lions Nation MMA, ending a nearly two-decade partnership with Team Lakay. 

Having the power to now run his own training program, Folayang brought in a BJJ Black Belt in Gibran Langbayan, just so he can focus on improving his grappling on a daily basis. 

Now he’s hopeful that he can showcase his improvements against Khan. 

“Of course I’m looking at all the mistakes that I made in my previous losses and trying to change that,” he said. 

“As a striker, of course I need to work on the things that I’m lacking in, particularly on the ground and in wrestling. So it will be an exciting match for me, because I’d have a good look at my development after nine months away from the Circle. 

“As much as possible, I want to showcase my ability on the ground. That’s one of my perceived weaknesses, and I want to show my ground game in this fight.”