Folayang upbeat on chances vs Aoki in trilogy bout

MANILA, Philippines — Eduard Folayang is confident in his upcoming bout with Shinya Aoki at ONE on TNT IV on April 29.

The third fight in their rivalry, this will likely be Folayang's last shot at winning their head-to-head matchup — with the score at deadlock right now at one win each.

With not only his record against Aoki on the line but also his entire career, Folayang knows just how much is at stake when they enter the cage next week.

"This next fight is very important. It's an important juncture in my career," said Folayang.

"I'm ready to go to war. Mentally and physically, I'm going to bring the best Eduard Folayang to the Circle," he added.

Folayang was the first to tally a win in their rivalry, when he shocked the world in 2016 with a third-round TKO of Aoki to claim the ONE Lightweight World Title.

When they met in 2019, however, Aoki was able to get one back when he dethroned Folayang with a quick first-round submission.

Knowing how dangerous his rival is, Folayang is pulling out all the stops to make sure he gets the win.

"I'm going to be well-prepared for the test he presents... I am confident I will get my hands raised at the end," he said.

"This is the most important fight of my career so far, and I will do everything I can to come out on top," he added.

ONE on TNT IV is headlined by the light heavyweight title bout between reigning champion Ang La N Sang and Vitaly Bigdash of Russia.