Baguio MMA athletes are making a mark in the Asian scene. One FC, the biggest mixed martial arts organization in Asia recently signed Baguio warriors with the likes of Edward Folayang and Kevin Belingon. Cordillerans are know to be strong and tough, and this sport is perfect for them.
One FC is based in Singapore whose rules are similar to that of pride and Nevada athletic rules. That means elbows, knees and even foot stomps are permitted. MMA is a fast growing sport in the world and Pinoys are definitely getting hooked. At school and at work, fights are always a part of conversations. Now, we know who Anderson Silva is or who GSP is and often debate if Jon Jones can actually whip Anderson Silva's ass up. MMA is becoming so popular at a rocketing pace it will not be surprising if it surpasses boxing in popularity in a few years time.
In this bout, the Philippines' Edward Folayang fights Korea's A Sol Kwon in a slam bang event. The two exchange vicious punches and kicks leaving the audience wanting for more action even after the bout. Edward Folayang in my opinion landed the most significant strikes and was more the aggressive fighter. He kept pushing and stalked the Korean most of the fight. It was unfortunate that Folayang was looking the more bloodied fighter. Joe Rogan of the UFC once said some fighters just get cut too easily even if the punch was not that strong and i think Edward Folayang is one of those athletes - the ones who get cut and bruised over a not so strong strike. Nevertheless Edward Folayang won this bout through judges' decision and earned the respect of Asians all over the world.
In this next fight, the Cordillera's Eward Folayang fought fellow Filipino (I'm not sure if he's completely Filipino but claims to be from the Visayas) Ole Laursen in grueling match. Each pushed the other, punched each other and kicked each other with very strong intentions to hurt. Ole Laursen managed to lang big right hands throughout the fight while Folayang unleashed barrages of leg kicks in the first two rounds and slowed Laursen down. Ole Laursen seemed to have the better cardio at the waning seconds of the round as he stalked the Cordilleran all over the cage which may have prompted the judges to think he was the more aggressive of the two. Both fighters were exhausted at the end of the fight and proved to be very exciting indeed.