Eduard Folayang Inaugurates New Training Facility, Announces Formation Of Lions Nation MMA With Longtime Teammates

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang has taken a leap forward in his illustrious mixed martial arts (MMA) career.

Stepping beyond the confines of the Circle, the two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion has embarked on a noble endeavor to share his expertise and passion for the sport by opening the Landslide Martial Arts Training Center in La Trinidad, Benguet.

He held its inauguration on Saturday, June 24, with the gym placing a strong emphasis on character development and personal growth apart from the physical aspects of combat sports training.

“We don't just train fighters; we unleash greatness within individuals. It's not about the punches thrown or the techniques mastered, but rather the transformative journey that occurs when you push beyond your limits, conquer your fears, and discover the champion’s attitude within,” Folayang said.

“This is not just a place to train, but a sanctuary where dreams are realized and legacies are born.”

Folayang’s brand-new gym provides a comprehensive space for training, complete with a miniature cage for MMA scrimmages, a dedicated area for grappling drills, and an assortment of punching bags.

Recognizing the importance of recovery and relaxation, the facility also includes a sauna room.

“The vision of our new gym is to provide a holistic and complete training experience for every individual,” the 39-year-old Baguio City native shared.

During its opening ceremony, Folayang unveiled that the Landslide Martial Arts Training Center will be the base of operations of Lions Nation MMA, the stable that he has founded alongside longtime teammates Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, Honorio “The Rock” Banario, and Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

Joining them on the team are Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly and Jeremy “The Juggernaut” Pacatiw, as well as a cluster of up-and-comers such as Estrada Donga-as, Denver Songaben, Aaron Posawen, and Jahn Serbo.

Lions Nation MMA will be having Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Gibran Langbayan and striking coach Don-Don Colas as their in-house trainers.

Belingon, the former ONE Bantamweight World Champion, is ecstatic about the bright future that awaits them as a group.

“As we embark on this new journey together as a team, I cannot help but feel an overwhelming sense of excitement for what the future holds. We have assembled a remarkable band of practitioners, each bringing their unique skills and passion to the table,” Belingon stated.

Eduard Folayang Out To Break His Skid At ONE: BATTLEGROUND II

At this point, Eduard "Landslide" Folayang should have grown tired of the criticism thrown his way, on whether at 36 years of age, the two-time ONE Lightweight World Champion should already hang his gloves for good.

But the proof is in the pudding, that despite the Igorot warrior being on the losing end of his last three fights, he remains on top of his game and can still hang with the best the lightweight division has to offer.

That's why for Folayang, his next bout against Chinese star Zhang Lipeng in the main event of ONE: BATTLEGROUND II on August 13 in Singapore will be a make-or-break match in its truest form.

"I agree and I see it as a make-or-break, meaning break in a literal way that it will be the fight that will break my skid of losses," he said, with his past slide dropping his record to 22-11.

"Every fight is important to me so yes, I need to be so focused to make it this time. This fight against Zhang means a lot because it will give me the opportunity to step forward again, one step closer to my goal of becoming a champion once more."

It's easy to say that Folayang really has nothing else to prove in his career.

Being the face of Philippine mixed martial arts in the past half-decade, he has led the Filipino charge in the realm of ONE Championship as warriors from Team Lakay showed that it truly can be considered as among the best athletes in the world.

Though his legacy is already intact, Folayang argues that he still has a lot more to give.

"I'm not yet done," a defiant Folayang said. "In fact, I'm more fired up than ever."

It has been more than two years since Folayang last draped that illustrious ONE Lightweight World Championship on his shoulders. And there's no question that he misses the feeling of holding that title on his arms and wearing it on his waist.

But his recent skid also means that Folayang is farther than ever from the pinnacle of the lightweight division, which fuels the doubts thrown his way.

Understanding his current situation, the Team Lakay veteran knows that there's only one way to silence the chatter -- both on his status as one of the best in the weight class and his capabilities to still be on top whenever he enters the ONE Circle.

"Sometimes people who are doing nothing and have nothing to strive for want you to be like them and they do this by talking negatively and pulling people down," he said.

And the only tonic he has in mind? It's not just to win over Zhang, but to win emphatically.

Folayang's last finish came almost five years ago, when his star shot up the heavens with a third round technical knockout win over Shinya Aoki to capture his first ONE Lightweight World Championship at ONE: DEFENDING HONOR in Singapore.

Seeing that formula further cements Folayang's thinking that a win of that magnitude should catapult him back in the conversation among the next possible challengers for current ONE Lightweight World Champion Christian Lee.

"All I do is to pray harder and train smarter. I believe that in the right time, I will be able to get rid of that skid. And that’s why me and my team are working together to bring the win home this time," he said.

But he also knows that he really can't look past Zhang as all Folayang wants is to show that he remains dedicated to his craft and is still one of ONE Championship's elite.

"I want everyone to see and learn how failures will turn into victories if we keep enduring and never give up on our dreams and goals. That's just the message that I want to convey: Never give up on your dreams and never stop improving. I just keep on fighting, continue to watch and learn from others, and be receptive to the advice coming from your coach and team," he said.

"I still have lots of names I have in mind that I want to fight, one of which being that cancelled match against [Yoshihiro] Akiyama. But right now, I need to focus on who's in front of me and that is Zhang. Everything will just follow from there."

SIGN UP NOW FOR ONE ESPORTS’ ONE TEKKEN TOKYO INVITATIONAL

23 August 2019 – Tokyo, Japan: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), ONE Esports’ upcoming ONE TEKKEN Tokyo Invitational is now searching for the best amateur Tekken players. Taking place at the Bellesalle Shibuya Garden on 5 October, 2019, the JPY 1.5 million 3v3 tournament will see three teams of pros, and the winners of ONE Esports’ Community Tournament competing for the top prize and the honor of being the first winner of the ONE TEKKEN Tokyo Invitational. Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports, stated: “ONE Esports’ first ONE TEKKEN Tokyo Invitational tournament is a testament to the quality and pedigree that ONE will bring to the fighting games community. We are pleased to have the best pro and amateur players in the world competing in our tournament, and we look forward to telling their inspirational stories in the way that only ONE can do.” The tournament is part of the two-day ONE Martial Arts Fan Fest, which also features top ONE Championship athletes such as Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson and Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez, as well as martial arts legends Rich Franklin and Miesha Tate. Tickets to attend the event are available on LINE Ticket at https://ticket.line.me/sp/ONEChampionship, and on Boardwalk at https://ticket.tickebo.jp/en/ONE-info/ for non-Japanese residents. Tournament Details The Community Tournament will be played in a Single Elimination format, with the winners joining the TEKKEN 7 pro players in a Round Robin match-up before proceeding to a Single Ladder Format for the Finals. Players who are keen to participate will need to form teams of three and register for our Community Tournament here. https://www.oneesports.gg/maff-tekken/. Registration closes on 27 September. The winning team will take home US$9,000 or US$3,000 per player, while the runner-up will get US$4,500 or US$1,500 per player. Prizes for the third and fourth place finishers will get US$1,200 or US$400 per player and US$300 or US$100 per player respectively. ONE Esports is also delighted to announce that top TEKKEN 7 professional players, consisting of Rangchu, Ulsan, Double, and six other players from Asia will be competing for a share of the US$15,000 prize pool at the ONE TEKKEN Tokyo Invitational. The complete list of attending players are as follows: Korea Jeong “Rangchu” Hyeon-ho Lim “Ulsan” Soo-hoon Kang “Chanel” Seong-ho Japan Shoji “Double” Takakubo Kachi “Pekos” Yota Genki “Gen” Kumisaka All Stars Nopparut “Book” Hempamorn, Thailand (More players to be announced at a later date) For more updates on ONE Esports, please visit www.oneesports.gg, follow us on Instagram @oneesportsgg and Facebook on https://www.facebook.com/oneesportsgg. For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™ ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global esports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.

COMPLETE CARD ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH IN HO CHI MINH ON 6 SEPTEMBER

22 August 2019 – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced its historic first event to be held in Vietnam. Live from Ho Chi Minh City is ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH, featuring the absolute best in world-class martial arts talent. The greatest strikers from all corners of the globe are set to converge at the Phu Tho Indoor Stadium on 6 September for an action-packed evening. ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH is also the first event to feature all ONE Super Series bouts. In the main event, reigning ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Gaiyanghadao of Thailand will defend his title against Brice Delval of France. Ticket information for ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH is available at www.onefc.com. Considered one of the greatest strikers of all time, Nong-O has captured nearly every accolade in Muay Thai. He made his first appearance at the famed Rajadamnern Stadium when he was just a teenager and won. That set off an incredible run of success. The icon has competed in over 300 professional bouts. During that time, he claimed two Thailand National Muay Thai Championships, four Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Championships in different divisions, and a Rajadamnern Stadium Muay Thai World Championship. Since joining the world’s best strikers in ONE Super Series, Nong-O has dominated the competition. In February, he captured the inaugural ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title with a unanimous decision victory over Han Zi Hao. He then successfully defended the belt in his next bout against Hiroaki Suzuki. Nong-O’s opponent, striking sensation Brice Delval, is a natural talent who trains at the famed Mahmoudi Gym in France. Delval grew up on the French island of Réunion, where he discovered his passion for martial arts. That ultimately led him to the sport of Muay Thai. An S1 Muay Thai World Champion, Delval now joins ONE Super Series. In his official debut, he will challenge Nong-O for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. Rising star Saemapetch Fairtex of Thailand returns to action in a Muay Thai contest. The former MTGP Welterweight World Champion joined ONE Super Series in 2018 and has since impressed during his time inside the ring. Prodigiously talented, Saemapetch took up Muay Thai at the age of 11, and a mere three years later, he was already competing at the famed Rajadamnern Stadium in Bangkok. Now training out of the renowned Fairtex camp in Pattaya, alongside the likes of Muay Thai World Champions Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex and Stamp Fairtex, Saemapetch is certainly a noteworthy talent to watch out for. Saemapetch takes on French Muay Thai Kickboxer and 5-time Muay Thai World Champion and Lumpinee Stadium World Champion Rafi Bohic. Bantamweights Kulabdam “Left Meteorite” Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai of Thailand and Bobo “The Panther” Sacko of France are set to see action in a Muay Thai contest. Kulabdam made a name for himself in the prestigious Channel 7 Stadium with an impressive streak of knockout victories in 2016. He was awarded the Sports Writers Association Fighter of the Year honors for his performances in 2017. Also, he is a 2-time Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion. Sacko, on the other hand, is a WMF Welterweight Muay Thai World Champion and WPMF Muay Thai World Champion. Lumpinee and Rajadamnern Stadium Champion Panpayak “The Angel Warrior” Jitmuangnon of Thailand takes on RISE Featherweight Champion Masahide “Crazy Rabbit” Kudo of Japan in a kickboxing contest. In addition, Lumpinee Stadium Muay Thai World Champion Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy of Thailand returns to action against WBC Muay Thai Super Bantamweight World Champion Joseph “The Hurricane” Lasiri of Italy, while Singtongnoi Por Telakun of Thailand faces Kohei “Momotaro” Kodera of Japan.. Vietnamese-English athlete Michael “The Beast from the East” Pham and the United Kingdom's Amber “AK 47” Kitchen are set to see action as they face Mohamad Fakri “Ant Man” Bin Yusoff of Malaysia and Viktoria Lipianska of Slovakia, respectively, in a pair of Muay Thai bouts. Also, Vietnamese-Australian athlete Chris Nguyen faces Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara in a Muay Thai contest. Making her striking debut is Vietnamese-American mixed martial arts star Bi “Killer Bee” Nguyen who takes on India’s Puja “The Cyclone” Tomar in a Vietnamese Super Series Muay Thai contest. Vietnamese martial arts athletes will, of course, be well-represented in ONE Championship’s inaugural event in the country. Set to see action are Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat and Nguyen Thanh Tung, who will take on Malaysia’s Azwan Che Wil and Pakistan’s Shahzaib “King” Rindh, respectively, in Vietnamese Super Series bouts. Last but not least is a pair of kickboxing bouts. World Fighting League Tournament Champion Santino Verbeek of the Netherlands goes head-to-head with WTKA Champion Juan Cervantes of the United Kingdom, while WMC World Champion Beybulat Isaev of Russia locks horns with Brazilian National Kickboxing Champion Anderson “Braddock” Silva. ONE: IMMORTAL TRIUMPH Friday, 6 September Phu Tho Indoor Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Main Event ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship Nong-O Gaiyanghadao (C) vs Brice Delval Muay Thai: 65.8kg Saemapetch Fairtex vs Rafi Bohic Muay Thai: 65.8kg Nguyen Tran Duy Nhat vs Azwan Che Wil Muay Thai: 61.2kg Beybulat Isaev vs Anderson Silva Kickboxing: 102.1kg Kulabdam Sor. Jor. Piek Uthai vs Bobo Sacko Muay Thai: 65.8kg Chris Nguyen vs Yukinori Ogasawara Muay Thai: 61.2kg Bi Nguyen vs Puja Tomar Muay Thai: 52.2kg Panpayak Jitmuangnon vs Masahide Kudo Kickboxing: 61.2kg Mongkolpetch Petchyindee Academy vs Joseph Lasiri Muay Thai: 61.2kg Santino Verbeek vs Juan Cervantes Kickboxing: 83.9kg Singtongnoi Por Telakun vs Kohei Kodera Muay Thai: 61.2kg Amber Kitchen vs Viktoria Lipianska Muay Thai: 56.7kg Nguyen Thanh Tung vs Shahzaib Rindh Kickboxing: 70.3kg Michael Pham vs Mohamad Fakri Bin Yusoff Muay Thai: 70.3kg For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™ ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global esports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.

CARLO DI BLASI NAMED PRESIDENT OF ONE CHAMPIONSHIP ITALY

20 August 2019 – Milan, Italy: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced that Carlo Di Blasi has been named President of ONE Championship Italy. As a member of the ONE Championship senior leadership team, Di Blasi is responsible for developing business strategies and plans, executing strategic B2B and marketing activities, acquiring and managing relationships with key accounts, and ensuring strong stakeholder management across the Italian business ecosystem. He will represent ONE Championship in Italy and help drive the culture of the company’s core values in the market. Chatri Sityodtong, Chairman and CEO of ONE Championship, stated: “It is my pleasure to announce that Carlo Di Blasi has been named President of ONE Championship Italy. Carlo is a well-respected figure in the European martial arts industry, particularly with the work he has put in towards developing Muay Thai and kickboxing, as well as mixed martial arts in Italy. With Carlo’s business and domain expertise, he plays a key role in shaping the future of ONE Championship. As our organization establishes strong roots in locations around the world, the ONE Championship brand continues to flourish globally. Our goal is to ignite the world with strength, hope, dreams, and inspiration through the power of martial arts. I have no doubt that Carlo will do a tremendous job in his new role.” Carlo Di Blasi, President of ONE Championship Italy, stated: “Experiencing a ONE Championship event live for the first time, I immediately understood this is the future of martial arts. Getting to know the ONE Championship team - Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong, Vice Chairman Saurabh Mittal, and Group President Hua Fung Teh, and all the amazing people in the company - it’s the most incredible team I’ve ever seen. I know here at ONE Championship, we are going to change the world. I am proud to be President of ONE Championship Italy and even more proud to be part of this organization. I will do my best to help ONE Championship take martial arts to the next level.” Before joining the organization as President of ONE Championship Italy, Di Blasi previously served as Italian representative for the International Sport Karate Association (ISKA) and the World Muay Federation (WMF). He was a Board Member of the International Federation of Savate (FISAV), and Vice President of the Global Association of Mixed Martial Arts (GAMMA). Di Blasi also boasts of professional experience as a promoter for K1 Italy, GLORY Kickboxing, Oktagon, and Victory World Series tournaments across Europe in countries such as Sweden, Italy, France, Hungary, Slovakia, Russia, Panama, and Bielorissia. A former Savate Italian Champion, Di Blasi served for the Italian Army as Carabinieri in the Anti-Drug Department of the Special Forces. A graduate of Law at the University of Milan, Di Blasi speaks Italian, English, German, French, and Spanish. For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

About ONE Championship™ ONE Championship (ONE) is the largest global sports media property in Asian history, and the largest producer of millennial live sports content in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, ONE is the Home of Martial Arts, and is the world's largest martial arts organization, hosting bouts across all styles of martial arts such as Muay Thai, Kickboxing, Karate, Kung Fu, Silat, Sanda, Lethwei, Mixed Martial Arts, Tae Kwon Do, Submission Grappling, and more. ONE hosts the biggest sports entertainment events across Asia, featuring some of the world's best martial artists and world champions on the largest global media broadcast in Asia. ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship, runs Asia's largest global esports Championship Series with some of the biggest blockbuster game titles in the world. In addition to its digital platforms, ONE Championship broadcasts to over 2.6 billion potential viewers across 140+ countries with some of the largest global broadcasters, including Fox Sports, ABS-CBN, Astro, ClaroSports, Startimes, Thairath TV, Skynet, Mediacorp, Great Sports, Tencent, Star TV, Mediaset Italia, ProSiebenSat.1, Dubai Sports, Turner Sports, and more.

Danny Kingad Excited To Share The Stage With Fellow Team Lakay Members

Danny “The King” Kingad is gearing up to face Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Reece “Lightning” McLaren at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES in front of his compatriots on August 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Kingad will be one of five athletes from Team Lakay who will see action on the card. 

When he was young, Kingad was a troubled teen treading on the wrong path. Eventually, he was course-corrected after joining the Baguio-based Team Lakay during his senior year of high school. There, he was groomed to become an excellent athlete and a role model.

Being a member of Team Lakay is something Kingad is extremely proud of.

“Being a member of Team Lakay has played a huge factor in my improvement, not only as an athlete but as a human being as well,” Kingad said. 

“Prior to joining the team, I knew very little about martial arts apart from the basic kicks and punches. Under the guidance of my coach, I learned proper execution as well as other skills such as grappling, submission wrestling, fluid striking, and others. 

“When I was young, I was in a very bad crowd and it had a negative impact on my life. Team Lakay helped me out of that dark place and taught me values like respect and honor, and I generally became a better person.”

Kingad will compete on the same stage with four of his Team Lakay brothers, including Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Geje Eustaquio, and Edward Kelly. 

Training five athletes simultaneously may seem like an overwhelming task for Team Lakay coach Mark Sangiao, but the team’s discipline and teamwork makes his job easier and more efficient. Kingad also does his best to maximize training and finds some advantages in training in a group setting.

“Personally, I think having five of us Team Lakay members competing on the same card is advantageous,” Kingad concluded. 

“Everyone’s always at the gym training and we’re all focused and determined to be in the best condition possible. We know we are all individually responsible for the outcome of our bouts, so we help each other get to where we want to be. 

“At the event, it serves a huge boost to our morale knowing that we have family cheering us on from our corners, no matter the result. I can say our bond at Team Lakay is unbreakable.”

Kingad is on the rise and continues to rack up wins. We can only expect he shines brighter in Manila when he performs alongside his Team Lakay brothers in front of his countrymen. If he’s able to defeat McLaren, Kingad will move on to the final round of the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix, where he will face the winner between Demetrious Johnson and Tatsumitsu Wada.

Edward Kelly Is Happy To Share The Stage With His Team Lakay Brothers

Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly is highly-motivated to face “The Stalker” Xie Bin on August 2 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

Kelly, who will be the first Team Lakay representative to see action at ONE: DAWN OF HEROES, will be competing in the stacked card alongside Eduard Folayang, Honorio Banario, Geje Eustaquio, and Danny Kingad. 

Also known as “The Ferocious,” Kelly has mixed emotions sharing the stage with four of his teammates.

“I feel a little pressure for me to do well in my next match,” Kelly said. 

“When you are performing on the same night with Eduard, Honorio, Geje, and Danny, I feel the need to do well and win. I also feel inspired because I know that I am not alone and no matter what happens, we will be there for each other.”

The Filipino featherweight contender will return to action against Xie, who himself is riding a six-bout win streak with four victories coming by way of submission. The Baguio City native, who excels in striking, along with the rest of his team has formulated a game plan for his upcoming bout, particularly in dealing with Xie’s grappling.

“Xie Bin is really a great submission athlete,” Kelly said. 

“I know that I have more experience fighting professionally than him but I am not underestimating his skills in any way. Making his opponents tap may be his strongest point but I believe that his striking is his weakness and that is where I will take the match. I just need to time my strikes accurately and prepare to defend myself from his takedowns.”

As Kelly prepares for his upcoming match, he feels confident knowing that he won’t be the only athlete representing the host country that night. In fact, Kelly says he draws strength from knowing his entire team will be there in his corner, as usual.

“I’m really happy and excited to share the stage with my brothers,” Kelly concluded.

 “We have done a lot of things together for the longest time and to compete together in our country is just a huge boost to our morale.”