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In one of the highlight fights of the historic ONE X event, Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr fought the final fight of his career. 'The Gunslinger' faced Wushu-based MMA veteran and former ONE lightweight champion Eduard 'The Landslide' Folayang.
After a career spanning over 20 years, Parr decided that his fight with Folayang at ONE X would be his last. At Saturday's event, the Australian was aiming for his 100th win. If he had his hand raised, it would have been a picture-perfect ending to a legendary career.
However, the ONE X fight was something we somehow expected but feared would happen. The 45-year old Parr looked a few steps slower than the much younger Folayang, who was fighting his first Muay Thai fight after years in Wushu.
Hard roundhouses, darting side kicks and heavy punches all met Parr with ferocious intent. Nevertheless, the Aussie legend, never took a backstep despite getting peppered hard. He even almost sprinted forward after getting pushed back by one of Folayang's trademark sidekicks.
By the time we reached the mid-point of the third round, things were starting to look really ugly for Parr.
However, near the end of the round, something of a miracle happened. In the face of defeat, Parr connected with a ferocious combination that sent his Filipino opponent reeling back. 'The Gunslinger' looked set to make a comeback and threw everything he had like he was 20 years younger. The crowd was defeaning as the old legend looked like he was going to pull it off.
Despite his glorious attempt at a comeback, Parr wasn't able to secure the fairytale win and, ultimately, Folayang was awarded the decision win. Despite losing his final fight, Parr reminded the world why he is deemed a legend of the sport.
John Wayne Parr open to other opportunties outside fighting after ONE X
Despite being understandably emotional in his final bout, Parr is optimistic of his future outside of professional fighting. Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA after his fight, 'The Gunslinger' expressed his interest in further working with ONE:
"Now that I’m retired, hopefully the opportunity is there, whether it’s cleaning toilets [laughs], I’m sure Chatri [Sityodtong] needs someone to mop up the blood. You remember that Bloodsport movie where they had someone mop up the blood? That could be me!"
Joking aside, the now-retired Aussie legend is also considering working in the commentary booth for ONE Championship:
"There’s no greater honor than be a representative of ONE Championship. It’s been a dream of my for so many years to be part of this company."
It looks like we'll be seeing more of the Muay Thai legend after his amazing fight at ONE X. We are all excited to see where he brings his career next.
