Folayang stops Aoki in big MMA upset

MANILA, Philippines - Eduard Folayang came into his lightweight championship match with Japanese Shinya Aoki as the overwhelming underdog. Until he started making a believer from everyone with an upset for the ages.

Folayang scored one of the biggest upsets in Asian mixed martial arts history by bringing down the heavily favored Aoki and snatching the lightweight title in ONE: Defending Honor at the Singapore Indoor Stadium Friday night.

Holding his own and defending well on the ground in the first two rounds, Folayang hit Aoki with a knee after the latter went for an immediate double-leg takedown to start the third round.

Seeing that his foe was hurt, Folayang unloaded a flurry and though none of the shots was damaging, Aoki did not make an effort to escape or retaliate, forcing referee Yuji Shimada to step in and stop the fight.

Folayang, who improved to 17-5 (win-loss), thus became the third Filipino champion in the fledgling fight outfit after Fil-Am Brandon Vera and Honorio Banario, a fellow Team Lakay stable.

Folayang thus ended Aoki’s nine-fight, four-year winning streak. Aoki’s last defeat came in 2012 when Eddie Alvarez stopped him in Bellator 66 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Interestingly, Alvarez is the reigning lightweight title-holder in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the best and most prestigious fight organization in the world.

Aoki slid to 38-7.