Folayang is ONE Championship Fighter of the Year

MANILA, Philippines – As if earning the title wasn't enough, Eduard Folayang raises the bar anew.

 

This time, he gets full acknowledgement from ONE Championship after being named the promotion's Fighter of the Year.

 

 

Folayang, who beat Asia's arugably best submission artist in Shinya Aoki, put the final gem in his crown. He became the new lightweight kingpin in stunning, gritty fashion that took three rounds to complete.

 

The citation cements Folayang's place not only in the local scene but also in whole of Asia. He bested other top-caliber fighters who had impressive outings in 2016 such as Bibiano Fernandes, Angela Lee and Marat Gafurov. All three are champions.

 

Folayang's recognition comes at a time when Team Lakay fought mightilty in the pace of their Asian peers. The Baguio-based stable tallied 16 wins -- including a sweep of a fight card last April -- for an impressive season.

 

But as far as these accolades go, both Folayang and his longtime coach and friend Mark Sangiao believe "there's still a lot to be done."

 

"Now comes the hard part. We have to defend the title," Sangiao said last November in Singapore.