Amir Khan bucks retirement speculation, says he’ll make a ‘statement’ in rematch with Eduard Folayang

Singaporean lightweight MMA fighter Amir Khan is set to make his return to action this week and end speculation about a possible retirement.

The 28-year-old Evolve MMA athlete is to face Eduard Folayang at ONE Fight Night 14 on Prime Video on September 29 in Singapore. It is a rematch between the two after they previously fought in 2018, when the Filipino won by unanimous decision.

In an interview which came out in the Manila Bulletin, Amir Khan said that he is out to make a statement in his second go against ‘Landslide’ and mark the end of his year-long hiatus, which many thought was an indication of retirement.

Amir Khan said:

“I think it was just an assumption, as I was relatively quiet in the past year. I guess that fueled the speculation that I was retiring.

"I’m very confident, and I’m ready. I’m approaching this like every other fight I’ve had in the past. In order to climb back to the top, you have to prove it with a statement. This match is the statement.”

Amir Khan’s last fight took place in August last year, when he was knocked out in the opening round by Malaysian Keanu Subba.

It has been a bumpy ride for him of late in ONE Championship but he is looking to turn things around, beginning at ONE Fight Night 14, and reinvigorate his journey in the promotion.

The same goes for Eduard Folayang, who at 39 wants to show that he still has it to compete at a high level. The former ONE lightweight world champion was stopped in the second round by technical knockout by Brazilian Edson Marques in his last fight back in December.

Earlier this year, he left Team Lakay and formed Lions Nation MMA as part of his push to continue evolving as a fighter.

ONE Fight Night 14 takes place at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and is available live and for free to Prime Video subscribers in North America.