33-year-old Eduard Folayang is a veteran of the Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) scene. He is a fixture in the biggest fights in the region, partaking in a handful of memorable, action-packed classics. His most recent bout, a shock upset victory over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki to win the ONE Lightweight World Championship title, is his biggest yet.
But things were not always easy for the Filipino stalwart. There was a time when, after a couple of heartbreaking losses, that the Team Lakay senior contemplated giving up.
“There was a time that we almost gave up,” said coach Mark Sangiao, head of the Philippines' most prestigious fight team and Folayang's senior.
"But of course, being athletes helps us to be tough, and not to surrender. We realized we needed to work on our weaknesses, and see what was lacking. We had to work on them until it became normal.”
And so Folayang went to work on areas that he needed to improve upon. Folayang even spent time in the continental United States, moving from gym to gym to hone his wrestling skills.
A former SEA Games gold medallist in Wushu, Folayang is a devastating striker with immense power in each fist. His kicks are snappy and thudding, always ready to be unleashed at the drop of a dime. He is one of the most feared competitors in all of the region.
Before he came to prominence however, Folayang had to endure insurmountable odds and incredible hardship.
Folayang, like many in the country, didn't grow up living a comfortable life. He was brought up in extreme poverty where his mother and father struggled to make ends meet to support he and his many siblings.
“My parents sacrificed a lot to bring us to school. Sometimes they even borrowed money just for us to pay our tuition fees,” recalled Folayang sadly. “In their daily lives they didn’t focus on just one job, they found extra work that they could do so that it would compensate the needs that we had.”
Since the family also lacked access to basic health care however, circumstance claimed the lives of five of Folayang's siblings.
"It made my mother very sad," said Folayang. "To have to go through that and lose children. She did her best to raise us, but times were really difficult. That's why I thank God for my life and I am even more grateful for where I am today."
With dreams of becoming a police officer or a teacher so that he could help others, Folayang went to university in hopes of giving his family a better life. It was here however, that he would soon discover Wushu, and in turn, Team Lakay and mixed martial arts.
After winning gold on the national level of Wushu competition, Folayang knew he had stumbled upon his true calling.
The rest is history.
“Do not let your situation or predicament control your life. There’s a solution to everything, you just have to find it. You just have to dig deep and show the world that you can overcome any obstacle. You can’t give up if you have a dream," said Folayang.
With his hand raised in the air, and with a gold-plated belt draped over his shoulder, Folayang reached the pinnacle of his career as a martial artist. At that moment, he knew he had made finally made it.
"You have to chase that dream until it becomes reality. Anything is possible when you put your heart into it,” Folayang concluded.