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MMA: Folayang set to face Khan for vacant ONE lightweight belt

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/news-special1/sports/11/26/folayang-112616.jpg"/></figure></div>MANILA, Philippines – Just days after Martin Nguyen relinquished the ONE lightweight championship due to injury, ONE Championship chairman and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong has put together a blockbuster showdown for the vacant title.Sityodtong revealed that former ONE lightweight champion Eduard &quot;Landslide&quot; Folayang of the Philippines will face off against top contender Amir Khan of Singapore for the belt.The bout will be held at ONE: Conquest of Champions on November 23 at the Mall of Asia Arena.&quot;I am excited to announce that Eduard &#x27;Landslide&#x27; Folayang and Amir Khan will face each other for the ONE lightweight world championship on November 23 in Manila,&quot; Sityodtong revealed through his Facebook account.&quot;The stakes could not be any higher for both warriors in what will be the biggest fight of their careers,&quot; he added.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/onechampionship/news/2018/10/01/eduard-folayang-gets-title-shot-manila-november-47664">READ: Eduard Folayang gets title shot in Manila this November</a></li></ul>Folayang, 33, is coming off remarkable back-to-back unanimous decision victories over a pair of tough and dangerous undefeated Russian grapplers in Aziz Pahrudinov and Kharun Atlangeriev.The Team Lakay star first captured the title with a third-round TKO victory over Japanese legend Shinya Aoki in Singapore back in 2016. Just a little over two years removed from his first reign as a world champion, Folayang will attempt to become the first two-time ONE lightweight world champion in front of a partisan Filipino crowd. &quot;Eduard wants to reclaim his title and go down as the greatest Filipino martial artist in history,&quot; Sityodtong said of the Filipino martial arts hero. Standing opposite Folayang will be Khan, a 23-year old knockout artist from the famed EVOLVE MMA stable in Singapore. Khan has emerged victorious in eight of his last nine contests and is coming off a magnificent first-round submission win over fellow top lightweight contender and Folayang&#x27;s Team Lakay teammate Honorio Banario just this past September. This will be Khan&#x27;s first opportunity to challenge for a world championship, and he has the opportunity to become Singapore&#x27;s first homegrown world champion. &quot;Amir wants to become Singapore&#x27;s first homegrown world champion in history, and stamp his legacy as the greatest Singaporean martial artist the world has ever seen,&quot; Sityodtong said of the Singaporean star. Sityodtong also announced that the new ONE lightweight world champion has a challenger already in waiting, as a number one contender will be decided in a title-eliminator matchup between Shinya Aoki and Ev Ting at ONE: Kingdom of Heroes this coming Saturday, 6 October at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. &quot;Barring any injuries or unforeseen circumstances, I fully expect the winner between Ev and Shinya to face the winner between Eduard and Amir in Tokyo,&quot; Sityodtong said. &quot;Without a doubt, it is super exciting times for this incredibly stacked division. Hold your breath though. I am going to announce more explosive news soon. Stay tuned!&quot; he concluded. For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Just days after Martin Nguyen relinquished the ONE Lightweight Championship due to injury, ONE Championship chairman and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong has put together a blockbuster showdown for the vacant title.

Just days after Martin Nguyen relinquished the ONE Lightweight Championship due to injury, ONE Championship chairman and chief executive Chatri Sityodtong has put together a blockbuster showdown for the vacant title.