Antonio Caruso Guarantees War In Eduard Folayang Fight
The action in ONE Championship continues with ONE: Inside The Matrix on October 30th. This event will feature four world title bouts. But it will also feature an exciting lightweight clash between Antonio Caruso and Eduard Folayang.
Training At Sanford MMA
Since the easing of travel restrictions, Caruso has been able to resume training at Sanford MMA, alongside the likes of two-division ONE world champion Aung La Nsang, and ONE featherweight champion Martin Nguyen, both whom will also be fighting on October 30th. ‘The Spartan’ has certainly come a long way in becoming a member of one of the biggest gyms in the world. Speaking exclusively to Asian Persuasion MMA, the Australian detailed the differences of training on his own and training at Sanford MMA.
“I literally came from training in a gym in my grandma’s shed,” said Caruso. “I built a gym in my grandma’s house just so I can train everyday. That’s why COVID wasn’t a huge issue for me for training. I honestly spent like a good portion of my career alone training. That’s why I’ve traveled a lot for training because I could never get the training partners I needed, and that’s why I traveled a lot to find these people.
“When I’m able to get back to Sanford, it’s a dream come true. You got great sparring partners, great teammates, better coaches, great facilities. The facilities that we got in Sanford are ridiculous. It’s honestly next-level. It is the future of MMA. It’s so amazing to be a part of that. I’m blessed to be there.”
“I’ve Done So Much Research”
There is one thing Caruso has in common with his opponent. They are both coming off losses to Pieter Buist. For the 29 year old, the loss to the Dutchman proved to be an eye-opener.
“I learned a lot from that fight, especially about myself,” Caruso said. “I went from the Australian scene where I would watch a guy. I would do a bit of research, and the research would be over in 24 hours. Then I would go back to training. When you get to this elite level, you can’t do that. That’s what I did with Pieter. You need to really dive into these people.
“I already knew so much about Eduard as a fighter. I’m a fan of him, I’ve watched a lot of him. And now I’ve done so much research on him. I’m lucky enough to have Martin [Nguyen] who’s fought him and beat him. You realise once you get to this level, the word ‘obsession’ people talk about, it’s true. You need to obsess, you need to know everything about [your opponent]. I’m at the point where I’ve researched everything about Eduard.
“I feel a lot more comfortable in me going into this fight knowing that I know so much more about my fighter. I’m super confident about this fight and the future ahead.”
Foreseeing This Fight
For Caruso, his matchup with Folayang is an ideal situation. He’d been expecting to fight ‘Landslide’ for some time, and felt like he has what it takes to defeat the Team Lakay stalwart.
“On the highlights, Eduard’s a scary guy,” said Caruso. “If you did minimal research, you’re gonna say, ‘Oh man, this guy is untouchable, he’s unbreakable.’ But if you sit down and watch his fights and pull him apart over 15 minutes, there are holes, there are gaps.
“For me, my plan this year was to have a couple fights and fight a top-five guy, or Eduard if the year went my way. Honestly, I felt like he’s a guy I’m gonna fight in the future and I’m preparing for it now. Lo and behold, here we are and I’m fighting this guy. Sometimes the universe does lineup. It’s a perfect storm. On October 30th, I just got to put the icing on the cake and have a great end of the year.”
“Passing Of The Torch”
Folayang is a legend in the eyes of Caruso. Why shouldn’t he be? He headlined the first-ever ONE Championship event back in 2011 and is a former two-time ONE lightweight champion. On October 30th, ‘The Spartan’ will finally step into the ONE Circle to fight the Filipino legend. For him, it’s all so surreal.
“You can only imagine meeting guys like this,” Caruso said. “Now I’m not only going to meet one these guys, but I’m going get to beat these guys. It’s the passing of the torch. This division is one of the strongest divisions in ONE Championship. It’s time for a new face to put his name on it.”
Warriors Going To War
Caruso isn’t making any bold predictions come fight night. But he is promising the fans a whole lot of action when he and Folayang meet inside the ONE Circle.
“It’s gonna be a war,” said Caruso. “I’m a warrior, he’s a warrior. There’s one thing that we love and that’s war. So you tune in October 30th, me and Eduard, we’re gonna throw down. I can’t promise what’s gonna happen. But it’s gonna be a war and an epic fight.”
Who are you picking as your winner when Antonio Caruso faces Eduard Folayang at ONE: Inside The Matrix?
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