Eduard Folayang named as ONE’s 2016 fighter of the year

It was a stellar 2016 for the face of Philippine mixed martial arts and now ONE lightweight champion Eduard Folayang of Baguio City's Team Lakay.

In a career full of ups and downs, Folayang's MMA journey had finally come to full circle when he defeated a living legend in Shinya Aoki last November to snatch a world title in MMA that proved elusive for years.

The Team Lakay veteran fought and won three times last year, displaying improved technique each time he stepped inside the cage.

Seen as an underdog against a renowned grappler in Aoki, Folayang defied the odds when he halted the former champ's submission attempts then stopped him in the third round. —ALG, GMA News