DANNY Kingad is a true warrior from the mountains of the Cordilleras and one of the top prospects to come out of Baguio City.
He stakes his unblemished four-win record against Malaysian combatant Muhammad Aiman on the undercard of ONE: Kings of Destiny at the Mall of Asia Arena on April 21.
Kingad aims to cement his stature as one of the highly-regarded flyweights in Asian mixed martial arts (MMA) by preserving his unblemished professional record.
Kingad is a tremendous striker, who also possesses solid grappling skills. In his most recent bout, he needed just one round to submit fellow Filipino flyweight contender Eugene Toquero.
Part of the talented new breed of Team Lakay fighters, Kingad will have his next assignment as a ONE Championship competitor in Aiman. The former MIMMA featherweight titleholder will drop down to ONE Championship’s 61.2-kilogram weight class to lock horns with Kingad.
Despite facing a bigger opponent with a physique of a natural featherweight Kingad remains unfazed as Aiman is entering the flyweight territory.
“This is a different turf for him. The pace is different in this division. He might have the advantage in height, but athletes in this division can negate that with speed and power. That makes it an even playing field,” he said.
Kingad faces a dangerous opponent in Aiman who tallied impressive victories in his last two fights under the ONE Championship banner.
Since encountering a setback in his first pro bout, the 22-year-old Malaysian standout has rallied with a two-fight winning streak. He beat Hisyam Samsudin by unanimous decision in his first fight inside the ONE Championship cage and stopped Brazilian grappler Eduardo Novaes in his most recent outing.
“Every single time that Muhammad Aiman is inside the cage, he brings something new to the table. It’s a challenge that can truly benefit my growth as a competitor in this sport,” Kingad said.
Kingad revealed that he is giving it his all in training camp as he anticipates Aiman to bring his A-game.
“Muhammad Aiman is well-versed, but so am I. He will be coming to this fight with all of his grappling and striking arsenal. I am prepared wherever the fight goes,” Kingad said.