Eduard Folayang is looking to stay in the title picture. Handout photo

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly a year after he last had the world title around his waist, Eduard Folayang still dreams of once again being recognized as the best in his division.

It's a dream that the former ONE lightweight champion is determined to pursue for as long as he can.

Following a superb all-around performance against Kharun Atlangeriev last May, Folayang is now in a tremendous position to put together a winning streak.

Indeed, if he emerges victorious in his next outing, Folayang can very well make a case for another shot at the lightweight championship.

"I felt good in my last bout, honestly," Folayang said. "Although, of course, I always feel like I could have done just a little better."

"I am always looking at how I can get better in every aspect," he explained. "I feel like my wrestling and my grappling has reached a new level over the past few months."

"There's a lot of room to improve, but little by little, I'll get to where I need to be," he added. 

Folayang, 34, will return to action on July 27 in the undercard of ONE: Reign of Kings at the Mall of Asia Arena. There, he will face off against undefeated Russian Aziz Pahrudinov, a newcomer to the ONE Championship cage.

The Team Lakay legend knows how important it is for him to win this match, as he wants to stay in the championship conversation in the lightweight division.

"Lightweight is one of the deepest divisions in the organization," Folayang pointed out. "There are so many great guys all wanting to get to the top. I have to keep winning, so I can stay in the mix."

READ: Kevin Belingon targeting history against Martin Nguyen as well

Standing in his way is Pahrudinov, a Sambo world champion and a native of Dagestan. He will be Folayang's third Russian adversary to date. The Filipino previously went up against hard-hitting Timofey Nastyukhin in 2014, suffering a tough knockout loss that ignited a string of victories that led him to the title. 

"He (Pahrudinov) is another tough Russian opponent, with the typical Russian style: aggressive and calculated," said Folayang.

"He has great wrestling and solid striking – excellent all-around skills," he added. "It's hard to face these kinds of fighters, because you have to be on your toes the entire bout."

"Get too close, and there's the threat of the takedown. I will be prepared to face this style once again."

The ONE Championship lightweight picture is a crowded one, with many top contenders vying for pole position on who gets to challenge for the title next. 

Indeed, defending champion Martin Nguyen is already booked to face another Team Lakay standout, Kevin Belingon, in the main event of ONE: Reign of Kings – this time for the interim bantamweight belt.

Thus, it may be quite some time before Nguyen puts the lightweight belt on the line once again. However, Folayang feels he needs to make a statement against Pahrudinov to stay ahead of the pack.

"I have to beat whoever is in front of me," said Folayang. "That is the priority"

"Right now, it's Pahrudinov. This is going to be a good, exciting fight, and I am excited. I will do my best to keep every advantage and win," he added.

"He doesn't have many weaknesses, but I would like to test his striking. Let's see if he can keep up with me on the feet."

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