Skip to main content

Reece McLaren inspired by Eduard Folayang’s title victory, looks to upset Fernandes

By

Filipino-Australian bantamweight sensation Reece McLaren burst onto the scene in ONE Championship after joining the promotion in 2015. He has since come away with two highly-impressive victories over top caliber opponents inside the ONE Championship cage which has earned him a shot at ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano “The Flash” Fernandes.

McLaren (9-3) is set to challenge reigning champion Fernandes (19-3) in the co-main event of ONE: AGE OF DOMINATION which takes place Friday, 2 December at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. The 25-year-old McLaren says he draws inspiration from another Filipino warrior who recently became an MMA world champion.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Baguio City’s Eduard “Landslide” Folayang shocked the world with a scintillating technical knockout victory over Japanese MMA legend Shinya Aoki to capture the ONE Lightweight World Championship. McLaren says the win has motivated him in training for his upcoming title shot against Fernandes.

“I saw the Eduard [Folayang] fight and I drew a lot of inspiration from it. Another fellow Filipino winning a world title shows that it can be done,” said McLaren.

“Watching the fight was super exciting. I was on the edge of my seat. It was such a massive opportunity for him and to see him walk away with the victory was just so inspirational.”

As talented as McLaren is however, the Brazilian Fernandes is riding an 11-fight win streak and is making the fifth defense of his ONE Championship title so he won’t be taken lightly. And just like Folayang did against Aoki, McLaren will also be entering this fight against Fernandes as the prohibitive underdog.

Good thing for McLaren, the role he plays in all of this doesn’t seem to bother him one bit.

“Being labeled the favorite or the underdog doesn’t really matter to me. I’m going to put a hundred percent into the work and hope it shows,” said McLaren.

McLaren began his ONE Championship career with an upset victory over Filipino warrior and fan-favorite, Mark Striegl. He then followed that win up with another upset victory over top Tajikistan prospect Muin Gafurov.

That’s why going up against Fernandes, McLaren feels right in his element.

“I find no difference between being the favorite or the underdog. Everyone loves the underdog story and they love it when he wins, so give me that label and I’ll run with it,” said McLaren.

“An upset to me is the man who is not meant to win, wins.”

While Fernandes is gunning for his fifth straight successful title defense, McLaren aims at a different kind of streak. He goes for his third straight upset. If McLaren can do that, then the world is in the palm of his hands.

“I’m confident I can get this win because I have Australia and the Philippines supporting me,” said McLaren. “Bibiano, it is such an honor to be facing you. I respect you a lot, but this is going to be a changing of the guard.”
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Staying Active Together: Herbalife Run Club Marks Global Running Day with 45-Day Challenge

By
MANILA, 13 June 2025 –  In celebration of Global Running Day, Herbalife, a premier health and wellness company, community, and platform, is making fitness more engaging and sustainable through the Herbalife Run Club. Designed to foster motivation and connection, the club brings together employees and distributors in a supportive environment where they can pursue their fitness goals while building meaningful relationships with like-minded individuals. The club also recently introduced a 45-day challenge in April as part of Herbalife FLEX45 Challenge. The challenge, a global initiative to mark Herbalife’s 45th anniversary, is a 45-day program focused on health, fitness, and personal development, encouraging participants to make positive changes in their lifestyle. In the Philippines, participants are encouraged to run or walk at least 5km a day, totalling 225km by the end of the 45-day challenge. The challenge culminated just before the Global Running Day, with over 20...
Post a Comment
Read more

PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS LEAGUE LAUNCHES PFL FAST CHANNEL ON THE ROKU CHANNEL

By
NEW YORK  (July 22, 2025) - The  Professional Fighters League  has partnered with  Roku , America’s #1 streaming platform*, to bring PFL’s 24/7 FAST channel to the masses.  The free, ad-supported streaming channel will deliver premium PFL MMA content to fans in the U.S. through The Roku Channel. Roku’s owned and operated free, ad-supported streaming service that reaches approximately 145 million people. Fans tuning in to PFL’s FAST Channel on The Roku Channel can expect a curated, on-demand experience tailored to MMA enthusiasts. The channel will feature over 50+ hours of live, near-live, and VOD content including ceremonial weigh-ins, press conferences, and condensed replays. Additionally, it will offer over 100+ hours of historic PFL events and a brand-new original series created by PFL Studios.  “The PFL FAST channel is designed to be a game-changer for MMA fans, giving free access to top-tier content for everyone to enjoy,” said Mike Chiodit...
Post a Comment
Read more

First 116KM Community Run in the Philippines Logs 3.5 Million Steps to Champion Children’s Right to Safe Play

By
Manila, Philippines, 24 June 2025 – More than 3.5 million steps and over 2,500 collective kilometers were logged during the Move for Play: Infinity 116KM Run, the country’s first-ever open-road ultra-endurance community run. Organized by the non-profit organization  FundLife , the event held from June 14 to 15 brought runners from Clark to Makati in a call to action for safe, inclusive, and accessible play spaces for children in under-resourced communities. The run coincided with the United Nations International Day of Play and was conducted on active roads and highways, requiring participants to navigate traffic, potholes, heat, and city congestion. The 116-kilometer route symbolized the difficult and often dangerous terrain many Filipino children must cross daily to access education and recreation. A total of 31 ultra-runners registered to complete the full route, while over 40 additional runners joined for various segments. 20 completed the entire cour...
Post a Comment
Read more