John Wayne Parr to face former MMA world champion Eduard Folayang in retirement fight at ONE X

Martial arts legend John Wayne Parr has one good fight left in him before he retires, and it’s coming at ONE X.

The 45-year-old kickboxing and Muay Thai veteran will face former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang on March 26 in Singapore. ONE Championship officially confirmed the fight on its social media platforms.

Parr joined ONE Championship in 2021. The Australian has had an illustrious fighting career, spanning almost three decades of excellence. He is widely credited for conceptualizing the sport of caged Muay Thai, which ONE Championship adopted in its all-striking league, ONE Super Series.

On the other hand, Folayang is a former wushu and MMA world champion. He held the lightweight title in ONE on two occasions, having fought for the promotion since its first event in 2011. With the upcoming bout, Folayang will become the first mixed martial arts world champion in ONE to transition to ONE Super Series.

The bout will be contested under the ONE Championship Muay Thai rule set.

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John Wayne Parr’s recent form

Beginning his fighting career in 1997, John Wayne Parr has had a stellar run as a professional. 'The Gunslinger' is considered an absolute kickboxing legend. His professional kickboxing record currently stands at 99-34, including 46 knockouts.

Unfortunately, Parr has had a rough time of late, losing his last three fights. The first loss of the skid was to Eder Lopes in Bellator. The second came against Danilo Zanolini under the RIZIN banner. Most recently, he dropped a technical knockout loss to Dutch superstar Nieky Holzken at ONE Championship’s ONE on TNT III event last year.

John Wayne Parr recently came to the realization that although his mind and spirit were willing, his body was no longer able. He hinted on his Instagram account that the end was near.

Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Folayang is also at the tail end of a glorious career. The Team Lakay pioneer has been competing professionally since 2007. Like Parr, Folayang's recent form has not been the best. He has lost six of his last seven fights, including his most recent four.