What true legends are made of : The graceful defeat of Eduard Folayang

Just like many MMA fans and supporters of our kailyan / kababayan Eduard “the Landslide” Folayang. It was almost heartbreaking to see our fighter from Baguio city tap out to his opponent Shinya Aoki during their bout at the ONE at TNT IV.

As a long-time fan, it was really difficult for me to write the sad news of his defeat. But alas! a Facebook post landed on my newsfeed that is more important than writing about him losing at ONE at TNT IV. The most striking caption reads “Huge congratulations to @shinya050983 for the win, it’s always an honor and privilege facing u.” With a photo showing a candid moment after the fight between these two legendary warriors.

In the world of martial arts, defeat is a natural occurrence. When you lose a fight, it doesn’t mean that you are not good enough nor does it mean that your opponent is absolutely better. It just meant that your opponent has something more- be it techniques, heart, perseverance, and sometimes luck.

When you lose, it doesn’t matter if you get knocked down or if you tapped out. What matters most is how you take your defeat and how you rise above it. Eduard “The Landslide” Folayang showed us the best example of how you should take a loss and how to rise above it. Besides just like they say, “you only lose if you quit” and quit is definitely not in Eduard’s vocabulary. As he said himself in his post, it’s not the end of the road.