Filipino combatant Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang was doing well in the early stages of his fight against compatriot Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado at ONE X on March 26. But in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
“I felt an intolerable pain in my knee that shot me down during my fight with Miado. My knee just gave up. The pain was too much to bear. I was so upset because I knew I was winning the fight and would win the fight,” the Team Lakay mainstay said.
That defeat during ONE Championship’s tenth-anniversary event dropped him out of the ONE strawweight top-contender rankings. But being a battle-hardened warrior, he vows to bounce back and make another push for a ONE World Title shot. However, it will take a while before he returns to the Circle.
“The doctor diagnosed that I had a torn ACL and the recovery would take 10 to 12 months. I would have to undergo surgery and rehabilitation,” Adiwang said.
Adiwang can still perform light exercises like stretching and using the stationary bike. But while the estimate for his return is still indefinite, the competitor with a 13-5 career mixed martial arts record is in high spirits that he will be back in action sooner rather than later.
But once he returns, the two-time Philippine National Wushu Champion would like to settle some unfinished business.
“I want a rematch with Miado once I’m physically fit. And I believe it’s not just me clamoring for a rematch but all our supporters. Our fans deserve to see a solid and better ending than that, so yes, I will be chasing for that rematch once I’m back,” he said.
In the meantime, ONE Championship returns to action with ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic this Friday, 22 April. Top-ranked strawweight contender Bokang “Little Giant” Masunyane will face #2-ranked Jarred “The Monkey God” Brooks on the main card. The winner of that showdown will face Joshua “The Passion” Pacio for the ONE Strawweight World Championship.
Filipina-American Jackie Buntan will also compete against teenage sensation Smilla “The Hurricane” Sundell for the inaugural ONE Women’s Strawweight Muay Thai World Championship.
Watch the lead card of ONE 156: Eersel vs. Sadikovic live on One Sports and One Sports+ at 5 p.m. Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Friday, April 22. The main card broadcasts on One Sports and One Sports+ at 8:30 p.m. PHT.
