ONE CHAMPIONSHIP

Eduard Folayang banking on his wushu style to beat Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr

Former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang is looking to bank on his Wushu style of striking when he takes on Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr at ONE: X on March 26 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The 38-year-old Folayang, 22-12 as a mixed martial artist, has not competed in a striking only match for more than a decade. He concedes that adjustments must be made against the former Muay Thai champion though he likes his chances of winning come fight night.

“I needed to study the rules of Muay Thai and I am cross-training with those who know the game. Our sparring sessions are focused on striking, work on our stamina and endurance and other aspects of training,” Folayang told GMA News Online.

“We negotiated for a kickboxing match so we can meet each other [in the middle] but at the end of the day it ended up as a Muay Thai bout. The excitement is there to face a big name in the sport for so many years.”

Parr, 45, has competed in more than 100 fights as a pro and is a ten-time Muay Thai world champion. He plans to retire after his bout with Folayang, making the Filipino prizefighter even happier that he was given a chance to face a fellow legend before Parr calls it a day.

“This is his retirement fight. I can say that in my resume I have faced a legend in a different sport,” Folayang stressed.

“I have a different style, he also has to adjust. My style is different from what he used to. If that gives him a problem then I will take advantage of that. This is going to be a good fight with how I will approach the fight.”

—JMB, GMA News