Shozo Isojima Vows Dominant Finish Over Eduard Folayang At The Inner Circle 21
A fighter with everything to lose sounds far more dangerous than one simply chasing a bonus.
Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima meets Filipino icon Eduard “Landslide” Folayang in a lightweight MMA co-main event at The Inner Circle 21 on Friday, July 10. The bout streams live for members in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s iconic Lumpinee Stadium.
Isojima enters off back-to-back defeats, and he knows exactly what is riding on this fight.
“In my last two fights, I really lost without being able to do anything at all. This fight feels like my survival in ONE Championship is on the line. I need to win for sure. I need to leave a really strong impression, winning in a dominant way,” the Japanese fighter said.
“If I don’t win in an overwhelming way, the future conversation changes. So I’m aiming for an early finish and building everything toward achieving a good result.”
That urgency has reshaped his entire daily routine. The 28-year-old had previously balanced elite competition with his job as a physical education teacher.
“Now, I’m basically just training in martial arts. So I’m able to spend time on preparing for fights and conditioning my body,” Isojima explained.
“Thinking about fighting against top fighters, I felt like I needed to dedicate everything to it.”
The Japanese judoka is well aware of the magnitude of the opponent standing across from him. Folayang remains a heroic figure in the Philippines with 23 career victories to his name.
“As a fighter, I’m really grateful to ONE for finding such a big-name opponent for me every single time. He’s still a heroic figure in the Philippines, and even though he’s become quite a veteran fighter at this point, I felt like he’s a wall I need to overcome,” Isojima said.
Respect for Folayang’s experience has not changed Isojima’s strategy. He believes the clearest path to victory lies in dragging the fight into deep water.
“As for his strengths, I think his stand-up striking and the way he applies pressure there are really strong, watching him,” the Japanese athlete said.
“For my part, I want to weather the striking exchanges and bring it to the ground game. Since he’s a veteran fighter, I think by the second or third round, my stamina will definitely be stronger, so I want to bring the fight into that kind of situation.”
That grappling-heavy game plan leans directly on his judo pedigree, and it points toward one clear picture of how he wants the fight to end.
“I’m definitely aiming for a finish. I want to properly control the first two rounds myself, and if possible, build up ground and pound in a really exciting way and head toward a finish,” Isojima concluded.
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