Kevin Belingon and Eduard Folayang (along with Eric Kelly) remain the Philippines’ brightest prospects for breaking into international MMA stardom—beyond Southeast Asia, then the whole continent of Asia and ultimately among the world’s elite fighters. It must be a good thing that they learn early, from their recent respective losses, what among their arsenal of fighting skills need upgrading.
The following is a round-by-round recap of the Pinoy fighters’ saga in last Saturday’s ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) “War of the Lions” event staged in Singapore, starting with Kevin Belingon vs. Japan’s Masakazu Imanari in their bantamweight match.
Round 1
Imanari launches a head kick on Belingon and misses, making the Japanese slip and land on his back. URCC champion Belingon instinctively inches closer to jump on the chance to ground-and-pound his opponent who’s lain supine on the ground. The former DEEP bantamweight title holder grabs a hold of the Pinoy’s right foot and attempts to lock in a heel hook.
Belingon tries to pound but in vain, as the hold already got him losing his leverage and effective striking distance to rain blows with his upper limbs. His lower limbs are already neutralized, with one foot trying to escape the heel hook hold and the other trying to push the other out of it. The Japanese fighter coolly and tenaciously latches on the foot, eventually transitioning to a toe hold and ultimately a reverse heel hook.
Soon, the reverse heel hook submission forces Belingon to tap at 1:18 of the first round, proving that Imanari is rightly nicknamed “10th Dan of Leglocks.”
Lesson for Belingon
Losing for the first time in 10 fights, Belingon must improve on his submission defense, and be extra-vigilant on the submission holds one’s opponent is renowned for.
Let’s now move on to lightweight Eduard Folayang versus his compatriot Filipino-Danish Ole Laursen, in a battle between the URCC and Martial Combat champions, respectively, which earned for both the Fight of the Night Bonus.
Round 1
Eduard Folayang lands an inside leg kick to start the first round, and follows it up with another but Ole Laursen simultaneously fires a combination of punches. Folayang strikes with a spinning body kick, and Laursen answers with a takedown.
From the top Laursen attempts a kimura hold, but Folayang manages to pull free his caught arm and stands up again. Laursen maneuvers to get behind Folayang and leaps to hook his legs in for a standing rear-naked choke. The Baguio City fighter shakes him off and the Boracay Island warrior lands on the canvas.
Folayang follows him to the ground and soon locks up a full back mount but fails in securing a finishing hold. Laursen manages to get on his feet again and then controls Folayang from behind, with his arms locked around the waist of the Sanshou stylist. Folayang throws elbows at the opponent clinging behind him.
Laursen scores another takedown, this time via leg trip and transitions to side mount. Folayang struggles and, again, successfully gets the fight back to standing. Folayang scores with another spinning body kick and lands a left hook on the apparently tiring Laursen before the bell rings, ending the first round.
Round 2
Laursen may appear to be the more weary party, but the Muay Thai fighter is still game enough to exchange strikes with Folayang. Folayang appears to land the heavier strikes, especially punches, but two of the round’s highlights come from Laursen.
First was the well-timed left jab on Folayang’s head that knocks him down. Folayang immediately springs back to his feet and backs off from Laursen, who, smelling blood, gives off a chase with a barrage of punches.
With his back against the cage and the re-energized Laursen frenetically firing punches at him, Folayang successfully shoots for a double-leg and takes his adversary on the ground. He tries to pound from inside Laursen’s guard.
Then Laursen turns on his hands and feet, and Folayang reacts by trying to get back mount but was thwarted and they’re both back standing. Folayang lets go of another spinning body kick, and Laursen delivers another highlight: a double-leg shoot, taking down Folayang and positioning to side mount.
And, as what has become the pattern in the fight, the downed party frustrates the top man and eventually regains the standing position. The second round expires but not before Folayang lands another left hook on Laursen, who is already developing shiners around both eyes.
Round 3
The last round shows both fighters engaging in their mutual and traditional weapon of choice: striking, with Folayang representing Sanshou against Laursen’s Muay Thai.
Folayang, who’s always been respected for his superb physical condition, had more spring in his legs. Laursen, on the other hand, looks like one valiantly fighting off fatigue.
Arguably, the third and last round is all Folayang, who lands the more strikes—in quantity and quality. However, in the dying last minute of the round, the never-say-die Laursen shoots again for a double-leg and again takes down his compatriot.
On the ground and on top of the prone Folayang, Laursen sparks another fisticuffs firework, finishing the round with a last-minute blaze. The takedowns from the first round to the third and, most significantly, the last, which made way for the last minute flurry, must have given Laursen two of the judges’ nod for the split decision win.
Lesson for Folayang
In the aftermath of only his second loss in 13 fights, Folayang has to further sharpen his already respectable wrestling skills. It’s true that his base martial art of Sanshou is, without getting into technical details, part wrestling. Still, it is undeniable that the Filipino MMA champion will greatly benefit in learning more from freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling.
If Folayang seriously aspires to be one of the world’s—if not the world’s—best, he must be able to effectively execute wrestling defensive and offensive techniques against not only the likes of Laursen. He must have, as early as now, Frankie Edgar and Gray Maynard in mind.
Lesson from Belingon and Folayang for All of Us
They will learn and return as much better fighters to begin another winning streak.
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