It’s the stuff of Hollywood blockbusters – an epic true story of triumph over adversity, about the son of an illiterate laborer and laundromat assistant who fought his way out of poverty in the Philippines to achieve what many considered an impossible dream.
Years of struggle and sacrifice finally pay off when, in 2016, the irrepressible Baguio City native achieved the mixed martial arts upset of the year, defeating reigning champ, Shinya Aoki – who many consider to be the greatest Asian MMA athlete in history – to become the ONE Lightweight World Champion.
Now as he prepares to defend that title on home turf in Manila in the Philippines, many in the sport are asking is Eduard “The Landslide” Folayang the new Manny Pacquiao?
Like Pacquiao – who rose up from life on the streets in the Philippines to become one of the greatest boxers of all time, Folayang has overcome abject poverty and a life beset with tragedy, to achieve sensational success.
“Eduard Folayang has the potential to fill the shoes of Manny Pacquiao in the Philippines,” says Rich Franklin, Vice President, ONE Championship, “When you look at his back story, I mean he’s one of nine children; five of his siblings passed away at a young age from common illnesses and not having doctors and just being in a poor family. This is a young man who really just took himself from nothing and became a world champion.”
Victor Cui, CEO of ONE Championship, says like Manny Pacquiao, Folayang represents the dream of many Filipinos – through hard work and determination, he was able to secure an escape from poverty through combat sports,
“He took an amazing path; he found strength to rise up through the power of martial arts. And now, everywhere he goes – when you see him, when he goes to schools, when he walks the streets they throw parades for him and he represents that dream that Filipinos want – that you can go from a life of nothing, where your parents cannot even read to being university educated, a teacher, and a world champion.”
Wushu specialist Folayang’s journey to the ONE Championship Lightweight World Championship has been beset with challenges. For five years he came close to the title shot, but repeatedly lost momentum. Lesser fighters would have fallen by the wayside, but Folayang persisted and seized his chance for glory in 2016, achieving his lifelong dream to become World Champion.
Folayang has become an icon and role model for his community in Baguio City and across the Philippines. He says he wants to inspire young people that with hard work and determination they too can succeed in sport or at anything they choose.
“What Manny Pacquiao did in boxing I also want to do it in MMA. The sport will be huge inspiration to the youth. Every time they hear my name it will always be connected to mixed martial arts,” he says.
“As an athlete I want to inspire the youth to not waste their lives on doing drugs but to find the purpose of their existence; to find if they have the talent in sports or whatever areas they are talented in. I want them to be inspired and I want them to make it not only in the Philippines but also globally.”
His parents remain his inspiration. Folayang says the only way he can repay them for the sacrifices and hardships they endured to provide for him and his surviving siblings is to continue his quest for excellence.
“My parents are my inspiration,” he says, “They always encourage me and pray for me. I really don’t want to waste the love that they are giving me so I really push myself harder so that in my fight I can be able to give my best.”
All eyes will be looking to Folayang April 21, when he defends his Lightweight belt for the first time against Malaysia’s Ev Ting. In front of his home crowd in the Philippines, this will be a true test of his nerve and his abilities, and an opportunity to show his journey as the ONE Championship Lightweight World Champion will continue into the future.
