Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is a man who doesn’t back down from any challenge, no matter how daunting it is.
So, it’s not surprising that he’s willing to jump into another sport if it means he could realize one of his dream matches.
Adiwang bared his intentions to cross into ONE Super Series if given the chance to make a super fight happen between him and ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon.
Adiwang has been one of the most exciting athletes not just in the strawweight division, but in the entirety of ONE Championship given his ability to light up his opponents from the opening bell.
Given that Rodtang is also considered one of the most exciting stars in ONE Super Series, this hypothetical match has fireworks written all over it.
“I’m really willing to fight him – 1,000 percent. I’ll cross over to ONE Super Series if they give me Rodtang. I know I’ll come in as a heavy underdog, but I believe I have the tools to beat Rodtang because I’ve been seeing holes in his game,” Adiwang said.
“I’ve seen the clamor of our fans to see this fight, but it’s not just them, it’s me. I really want this fight, and I really believe that when we face each other, we can bring out an exciting match. I’ll be at my best because I know I can do it once I face Rodtang.”
The Team Lakay star believes he has discovered the blueprint to beating the Thai, evident in Rodtang’s showings against Danial “Mini-T” Williams and Walter Goncalves.
While Rodtang remained impressive in both of those matches, “Thunder Kid” believes those clashes showed him that the face of ONE Super Series is beatable.
“In his last fight against ‘Mini-T,’ it showed his weakness. [Danial Williams] wasn’t really engaging him in a phonebooth battle. He was patient and he was countering with his strikes. In that fight, we didn’t see the go-for-broke Rodtang that much, and that’s because of ‘Mini-T’s’ style,” Adiwang said.
“We all know Rodtang is an elite striker. He has strong and fast kicks and he’s very technical, but ‘Mini-T’ hung in there because he countered using his punches. The same can be said against his Brazilian opponent [Walter Goncalves], who was also patient against Rodtang.
“I think the key is to not be pulled in Rodtang’s game. He’s a master in getting in his opponent’s heads. He’s won a lot of fights already because of that. Give him different looks, different combinations from the usual Muay Thai combinations, and I believe he’ll struggle.”
Not many people will give Adiwang a shot against the longtime flyweight Muay Thai king – and understandably so given Rodtang’s dominance.
But Adiwang believes all he needs is one good shot to pull off the impropable.
“I’ve visualized this a hundred times. He’s just human. He’s one hell of an athlete, but he’s human. If I can do my part, I can pull the trigger and make the impossible happen,” he said.
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