Eduard Folayang explains why Christian Lee is a dangerous opponent

Team Lakay superstar Eduard Folayang knows the reason why Christian Lee sits atop the lightweight division today with his old ONE lightweight world title.

Folayang, 36, lost the title in a second meeting with Shinya Aoki in March 2019, which Lee eventually won from the latter via second-round technical knockout.

In his last outing, Lee defied the odds by beating Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev by way of unanimous decision—announcing to the world that he can hang with the top guys in the division.

“He’s a terrific finisher and very fast and powerful, especially with his takedowns. He’s got great athleticism, which allows him to overwhelm most of his opponents, and he has a lot of finishes,” said Folayang.

“I’m not sure how confident he is with his striking though, so that’s something specific I want to test out. I was really impressed with how Christian handled Dagi (Saygid Guseyn Arslanaliev) in his last bout,” he added.

“A lot of people were quick to write him off, but he went in there with a good game plan and executed. I think that came as a surprise to most. But you can’t really underestimate anyone in this game, especially at this level.”

In a recent interview, the 22-year-old Lee stated that he is willing to stake his title against a decorated foe like Folayang.

The man touted as the face of Philippine MMA welcomes the idea, as he looks to forward to trading strikes with the young champion.

“If it happens, it would be my honor. Christian [Lee] is a solid martial arts athlete. I have a lot of respect for that young man,” says Folayang.

“He has great skills and can mix it up pretty good. He has a good ground game, with explosive wrestling and a lot of crazy submissions. And his striking is decent. I would love to test him in all areas of the game.” – JM Siasat/RC, GMA News