Eduard Folayang says Ok Rae Yoon deserving of lightweight belt, despite controversial fight with Christian Lee

Controversies aside, Filipino legend Eduard Folayang believes that Ok Rae Yoon fully deserves to hold the ONE lightweight world title after his successful challenge against Christian Lee back in September 2021.

Yoon took a unanimous decision win over Lee at ONE Revolution but it was seen as a contentious end to a match that saw both fighters lay everything out inside the circle.

For Folayang, however, Yoon has every right to be the ONE lightweight world champion. The Team Lakay veteran said his toughness alone makes him worthy of holding the prestigious world title.

Folayang said that the South Korean star has already proven himself to be an elite talent in a division littered with phenoms and no one can take that distinction away from him.

Eduard Folayang said in an interview with ONE Championship:

“When he fought [Eddie] Alvarez, he took Alvarez down and he hurt him. So he’s very well-rounded. His ability to defend on the ground and his ability to strike makes him a complete warrior who is deserving to be the ONE lightweight world champion.”

Ok Rae Yoon is 3-0 in ONE Championship and holds wins over three of the best in his division against Marat Gafurov, Alvarez, and Lee.

His two fights against Gafurov and Alvarez were also a testament to how tough he is. The South Korean star fought the two killers in a span of one week and both matches saw him dominate Gafurov and Alvarez.

Folayang added that Yoon has reaped the benefits of training under Team Mad, considered one of the top stables in South Korea.

“I think if you look at his camp, he’s from one of the most well-respected teams in South Korea which is Team Mad. I think that gives a really big advantage for him. He has fought at a high level in the game. That gives him a lot of exposure with high-level athletes as well.”

The former ONE lightweight world champion added:

“That’s why when he fought Marat he was not submitted. Marat was known for his grappling prowess, and we didn’t know much about Ok Rae Yoon. But Marat couldn’t submit him.”

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Ok Rae Yoon and Christian Lee’s rematch will have a grudge, says Eduard Folayang

With the drama surrounding the rematch, Eduard Folayang knows that both Christian Lee and Ok Rae Yoon will put on a bit more emotion come ONE 160.

Yoon and Lee will headline the stacked ONE 160: Ok vs. Lee II card on August 26, Singapore time, which will be broadcast live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Eduard Folayang said in the same interview that Yoon will want nothing more than to prove that he deserves the world title. Lee, meanwhile, is hellbent on reclaiming the world title that he once held for more than 800 days.

“This fight has a bit of a grudge to it because Ok Rae Yoon wants to prove that he’s really the world champion and Christian Lee wants to prove otherwise because he thinks he got robbed in the last fight. I think this is gonna be interesting, neither of them could finish each other in that first fight."