​Shozo “Great Teacher” Isojima isn’t satisfied with merely edging Eduard “Landslide” Folayang; after two frustrating setbacks in the sport’s most expansive global promotion, the Japanese judoka is determined to deliver a performance so decisive that it reaffirms his place among ONE Championship’s elite. At 28, Isojima has poured himself more fully into martial arts, but this story centers not on what he has changed outside the ring, but on precisely what he intends to demonstrate inside it.
On Friday, July 10, Isojima will square off against the Filipino legend in a high-stakes lightweight MMA co-main event at The Inner Circle 21. The blockbuster card will stream live in Asia primetime from Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium, available exclusively to members at live.onefc.com. This clash presents Isojima with a golden opportunity to rebound against a former three-time ONE Lightweight World Champion, a trailblazer for Asian MMA, and a veteran with 23 career wins. Yet the 28-year-old understands that such a massive chance arrives at a pivotal moment in his career.
“I’ve really felt lost in my last two fights, unable to do anything I wanted to on the mat,” Isojima said. “This fight feels like my survival in ONE Championship is on the line. I have to win, and I have to leave a really strong impression—dominating if possible. If I don’t win in an overwhelming fashion, the conversation about my future changes. So I’m aiming for an early finish and I’m building everything toward achieving a solid result.”
That pressing urgency has transformed how Isojima approaches his professional path. The N‑Trust representative had been balancing elite-level competition with the demands of his work as a physical education teacher. But after the recent setbacks, he concluded that facing top-tier ONE challengers requires an even deeper, more complete commitment to the craft.
“I’m basically devoting myself to training in martial arts now,” he explained. “That means I can devote the time necessary to fight preparation and conditioning. When I think about testing myself against the sport’s best, I feel I must give everything to it.”
That shift in mindset lends this co-main event extraordinary significance. Isojima is not facing an ordinary opponent. Folayang remains a towering figure in the Philippines—a defining pillar of ONE’s lightweight division, whose reputation was forged through explosive wushu-inspired striking, relentless pressure, and a long history of title-contending performances across the World Championship era.
Isojima acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge: “As a fighter, I’m truly grateful to ONE for consistently pairing me with such a high-profile opponent. He’s still a heroic figure in the Philippines, and even though he’s become a seasoned veteran, I see him as the obstacle I must overcome.” Folayang’s wealth of experience demands nothing less than absolute focus and peak form from Isojima as he seeks to prove that his time is not over and that he remains a legitimate threat in ONE Championship’s highly competitive lightweight division.