LW Champ Eduard Folayang to Face FW Champ Martin Nguyen at One ‘Legends of the World’

A champion vs. champion matchup is set for the headliner of One Championship’s Nov. 10 event.

The promotion recently announced that lightweight king Eduard Folayang will defend his title against featherweight tiltist Martin Nguyen at One “Legends of the World” at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila.

Folayang, 33, enters the bout on a four-fight winning streak, including a third-round TKO victory over Shinya Aoki to claim 155-pound gold last November. “Landslide” last appeared at One “Kings of Destiny,” where he took a five-round verdict against Ev Ting on April 21.

“As a martial artist, I am constantly in search of the biggest challenges, the biggest tests of my skills,” Folayang said in a release. “As champion, I welcome any and all challengers. Martin] is one of the best in the world and it is an honor to share the One Championship cage with him. This is a bout for the fans, and I can’t wait to perform in front of my hometown crowd in Manila once again.”

Nguyen, meanwhile, captured the featherweight crown with a second-round knockout of Marat Gafurov at One “Quest for Greatness” on Aug. 16. The 28-year-old Australia-based fighter has won five straight fights and is 9-1 as a professional overall.

“I'm out not only to make a statement, but to go down in history as the best to ever compete under the One Championship banner,” Nguyen said. “I have the utmost respect for the lightweight champion, and will definitely not take his skills for granted. But this is going to be a dog fight. It's the first time two champions in different divisions go head-to-head in One, and I am excited to give the performance of a lifetime.”