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Eduard Folayang refuses to fear Father Time ahead of Shozo Isojima clash at The Inner Circle 21

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2 months ago

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Eduard Folayang refuses to fear Father Time ahead of Shozo Isojima clash at The Inner Circle 21

Fifteen years of Filipino combat sports history walk into the ring again this July, carrying the same quiet humility that built it all.

Former multi-time ONE Lightweight MMA World Champion Eduard Folayang meets Japanese judoka Shozo Isojima in a lightweight MMA co-main event at The Inner Circle 21 on Friday, July 10. The bout streams live for members from Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Folayang has spent 15 years building a reputation as one of ONE Championship's most respected competitors. That reputation now enters its twilight stage against a hungry challenger.

Isojima announced himself in the promotion with a dominant TKO of Nicolas Vigna at ONE Fight Night 36 last October. His wrestling and ground-and-pound offense have troubled every opponent he has faced.

The 28-year-old Japanese star brings a 14-year age advantage into the matchup, a gap Folayang has no interest in hiding from. That honesty extends directly into his fight preparation.

“I've never underestimated any opponent, and I never will. I can't say I'm more experienced, although it is an advantage for me, but nothing is certain in this sport,†he stated.

“I see him as a dangerous opponent, especially if he gets to his spots, which is his wrestling.

“The game plan is to make him play to my strengths, which will always be my striking. I need to be careful in instances where he can close in and dictate his style. The key for me is movement, finding my rhythm, and connecting on my combinations.â€

Eduard Folayang studies Shozo Isojima's exploitable weaknesses

Eduard Folayang has done his homework on more than just Isojima's power. He has broken down the Japanese judoka's two most recent losses for clues.

Both defeats came against elite grapplers, and Folayang sees a pattern he intends to exploit if the opportunity arrives.

“There are instances where capitalizing on small opportunities will come. Tye Ruotolo is an amazing grappler, and he was able to impose his will. Adrian also finished him on the ground, so I see he still has vulnerabilities there as well,†the Baguio City native noted.

“The biggest prediction is I'll win. How? I guess your guess is as good as mine. That's a good question, how I'll win. I'll leave it as a question for now and have the answers come fight time. I'm just predicting I'll win in any way I can.â€

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MMA

Ex-UFC stars new career takes wild turn during traffic stop

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1 hour ago

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September 8, 2026

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Ex-UFC star's new career takes wild turn during traffic stop
Former
Ultimate Fighting Championship title challenger Marlon
Moraes now deals with real-world situations, as seen in a
recent South Florida traffic stop.

Viral footage circulating on social media shows Moraes, now working
as a police officer, dealing with a motorist who repeatedly
confronted and verbally challenged him. After several warnings to
back away, the man moved toward Moraes, who responded by taking him
to the ground.

Marlon Moraes hip tosses motorist while working as South
Florida police officer

The incident took place on March 27. Moraes joined the Davie Police
Department in Florida in June 2024 before taking a position with
the Coral Springs P.D. later that year.

In the viral footage, the situation escalates after the motorist
repeatedly insults Moraes and another officer. Moraes warns him
against moving closer before eventually using a hip toss to bring
him to the ground, where other officers move in to handcuff
him.

The incident adds another chapter to Moraes’ unusual post-fighting
career, which has seen him transition into law enforcement while
also returning to mixed martial arts competition. The Brazilian
exited the UFC in 2023 on a seven-fight losing streak. He defeated
Maximiliano
Perez by unanimous decision on Aug. 28, returning to
competition after three years to record his first victory since
2019.

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MMA

Shavkat Rakhmonov admits UFC return is far from guaranteed

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3 hours ago

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September 8, 2026

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Shavkat Rakhmonov admits UFC return is far from guaranteed
Shavkat
Rakhmonov isn’t ready to say that his
Ultimate Fighting Championship career is over, but the unbeaten
welterweight admits his return is far from guaranteed.

Rakhmonov has been sidelined since defeating Ian Garry in
December 2024. He entered that bout with a knee injury and it left
a long-lasting impact. In a new interview, he reflected on the
fight and where he stands in the 170-pound division.

Shavkat Rakhmonov details the knee injury that has kept him
sidelined since beating Ian Garry

“Nomad†admits that he should not have competed with his injury. He
also took a shot at Dagestani stars Khabib
Nurmagomedov and Islam
Makhachev, claiming they would never fight injured.

“Well, that's my problem; I couldn't fight,†Rakhmonov told Alf
Global. “If I had fought, I could've become champion, but that's
how it turned out. I was injured. What can I do? We are only human.
I actually shouldn't even have fought Ian Garry at
all. With injuries like that, I shouldn't have fought at all; I
just took a risk. That's the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring.
They're not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter
like Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would've
refused.â€

Rakhmonov then delved deeper into how his injury worsened during
the Garry fight.

“I already had an injury going into the Ian Garry fight,†he added.
“I stepped in; I hadn't fought for a year; I wanted to fight. That
old injury was still bothering me a lot. My leg was swollen. And
when he was striking me, it was probably because I completely
lacked a ligament. I couldn't really feel that strike, in
general.â€

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MMA

Salahdine Parnasse calls out Max Holloway following showstopping UFC debut

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5 hours ago

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September 8, 2026

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Salahdine Parnasse calls out Max Holloway following showstopping UFC debut
Salahdine
Parnasse made a statement in his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.

The former two-division
KSW champion stopped Dan Hooker
with a body kick and follow-up strikes in the first round of the

UFC Paris main event. Parnasse subsequently reiterated his
claim that he's already one of the best in the world.

Salahdine Parnasse targets Max Holloway after stopping Dan
Hooker at UFC Paris

Parnasse carried a five-fight win streak into his Octagon debut and
is high in confidence after a near-perfect introduction to UFC
fans. He was in good spirits after the fight, claiming that his
performance reflects just how dangerous he is to other UFC
lightweights.

“I threw the kick and then I threw a punch and to be honest with
you, I got to rewatch the fight, but I don't remember exactly
everything,†Parnasse said in a post-fight interview. “I showed
that I'm one of the best in the world, I showed that I'm dangerous
and I'm here.â€

The Frenchman also called for a matchup with former UFC champion
Max
Holloway, emphasizing that the request comes from admiration
rather than disrespect.

“Like I said, I want to fight Max Holloway; I know he's a legend,â€
Parnasse added. “This is not trash talking; this is just a dream
that I've had for a long time and out of respect, I really want to
face a legend like Max.â€

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