A TRUE student of martial arts, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang of the Philippines seeks to continue honing his skills and taking on new challenges, one of which is having a shot at facing reigning ONE Championship Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand.
One of the fastest-rising athletes in ONE Championship, Mr. Adiwang of Team Lakay has been earning his keep since joining the main roster of the promotion last year.
He has gone undefeated in two matches to date, banking on his go-getting mindset to complement his explosive striking skills.
They are the same qualities he wants to put to test if given the opportunity to clash against Rodtang.
“I love fantasy matchups. Me against Rodtang shouldn’t just be a fantasy, it should be a reality. I respect Rodtang a lot. I love the way he fights and the energy that he brings into the arena. I really respect him as a true fighter and a real champion,” said Mr. Adiwang, who currently holds a mixed martial arts record of 11-2.
The Filipino said going up against Rodtang, a dominant fixture in ONE Super Series, would be a tough task but nonetheless, he believes he could hold his own against the Thai champion.
“His strength is in his powerful strikes. He has powerful kicks and punches, and has that demolition style. He will come forward and put the pressure on his opponent, looking to destroy them with powerful combinations,” said Mr. Adiwang.
Mr. Adiwang went on to say that while his focus right now is MMA, if the opportunity presents itself to have a showdown with Rodtang, he would grab it.
The last time Mr. Adiwang saw action in ONE was in January here in Manila, where he was a first-round submission winner over Pongsiri Mitsatit of Thailand. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo
