If the COVID-19 pandemic would not have happened, Lito Adiwang should have already been involved in some serious match-ups in unconventional manner.
It’s because he keeps on coming-up with some juicy matchups he would like to be involved in.
Given the condition that he belongs to ONE’s strawweight division where fellow Team Lakay young star Joshua Pacio reign supreme, Adiwang knows exactly how to define his career fight path and become successful even without an encounter against his “brother”.
Just last May, Adiwang insinuated that he would rather jump up in weight for a shot at Demetrious Johnson rather than challenging for the strawweight title against Pacio.
That’s not about it as Adiwang goes again unconventional by including Muay Thai star Rodtang Jitmuangnon in his shortlist of dream matchups
It is no secret Adiwang is a huge fan of ONE Super Series. In fact, he was seen giving predictions for ONE: A NEW BREED II, even though no Filipino was involved in the event.
At some point down the line, the former ONE Warrior Series product says he would love to test his mettle against the world’s best striking talents.
Reigning ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon’ inclusion in Adiwang’s radar is semi-surprising.
The fiery Thai warrior is known for his incredible speed and thunderous knockout power, and Adiwang would want nothing more than to turn a fantasy matchup between “Thunder Kid” and “The Iron Man” into reality.
“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 Adiwang.
Indeed, Rodtang has emerged as one of the most exciting martial arts superstars in Asia, since his debut in the world’s premier striking martial arts league. He’s unbeaten in ONE Super Series action, with eight thrilling victories on his resume.
Adiwang has studied Rodtang’s style extensively, and believes he has a good grasp on the Thai action star’s strengths and weaknesses.
“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 Adiwang.
“But I think he has trouble when an opponent is good in countering and keeping the distance. He sometimes has difficulty landing when an opponent is elusive.”
While “Thunder Kid” is certainly open to the idea of stepping into the ring in ONE Super Series, the Cordilleran standout reaffirms that he is completely focused on his mixed martial arts career at the moment.
However, if the opportunity to face Rodtang would arise, Adiwang would jump all over the chance to stand across one of the men on top of his list of dream matchups.
“If me and Rodtang face each other somewhere down the line, I will do my best to shock the world. I want to prove to the world that even an ordinary boy can do extraordinary things if he just believes in himself, puts in the work, and dedicates himself to achieving his goals. I want that fantasy matchup to become a reality,” said Adiwang.
Adiwang’s aggressive and explosive offensive style would no doubt hold up very well against the world’s top Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers.
Adiwang is no stranger to the world of striking martial arts. After all, he is a 2-time former Philippine National Wushu Champion.
He is currently riding a seven-bout winning streak, with only one of those victories reaching the final bell. True to his nickname, Adiwang has taken ONE Championship’s strawweight division by storm.
ONE Championship allows its athletes to cross-compete between striking disciplines and MMA.
“My dream is to fight the best of the best and become a champion, and Rodtang is one of the fighters on my shortlist to test myself against. If we fight in Muay Thai, I know it’s going to be a good show. Of course I will do my best to get the victory. But if he ever plans to try MMA, I would love to be the one to welcome him into our world.”, Adiwang ended.
By: ARMANDO M. BOLISLIS