“The Ferocious” Edward Kelly started his journey with ONE Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila over five years ago. On August 2 at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES, he will step into the same arena once again.

His entire journey leading up to the match with “The Stalker” Xie Bin has not been an easy one. There were instances when Kelly, who competes in one of the deepest weight divisions in ONE, experienced several setbacks on his climb to the top.

“I find that losing a match when you have given your all to be the hardest part of my job,” Kelly said.

“I know that I have prepared well for a match and trained really hard to make sure that I am well equipped to compete. But in our line of work, anything can happen in a blink of an eye. There are some instances when it is hard for us to accept the loss, but it is what it is. We just have to move on.”

The 35-year-old athlete has spent countless hours training and pushing his body to the limit as much as he can. But things don’t always work out the way he intends. Despite the struggles, he bounces back and soldiers on with the help of his family and friends.

“Quitting has never been an option for me,” Kelly said.

“It just reminds me that I still have room for growth and that I just have to train harder and acquire new skills. I view these as challenges that I have to overcome. Thankfully, I have my Team Lakay family who shares my woes and helps me get back up.”

Kelly has matured with every challenge he has conquered. Facing problems are common, so he advises people who are facing troubled times to find the courage to keep moving forward, work hard and seek the help of others.

“Trials and tribulations are always there in life,” Kelly concluded.

“The best way to overcome these is to first acknowledge them and work hard to overcome them. We have family and friends who will always be there to remind us that we are not alone in this fight. You just have to keep the faith and keep fighting.”