Lito “Thunder Kid Adiwang wishes nothing but the best for his good pal in ONE Strawweight MMA World Champion Joshua Pacio as the divisional king continues to recover from an ACL tear.
Adiwang himself went through the same predicament two years ago, missing 18 months because of the same injury.
“I know what Joshua is going through. I’ve been there, and it is no joke. I can really say that it’s one of the toughest moments in my life, not just in my career,” he said.
If Pacio’s going to be out for longer than expected, then Adiwang is presenting himself as a viable challenger for Jarred Brooks’ interim title.
The 30-year-old Adiwang is currently riding a three-fight winning streak and is three years removed from his first fight with Brooks. So, “Thunder Kid” believes he deserves to take a swing at “The Monkey God” again.
“If the division has to move on, then I want to be the one to step up and challenge Brooks for the interim title,” he said.
“Everybody knows that I’ve been putting in the work for quite some time. I truly feel the time is ripe for me to compete for gold.”
In that first meeting, Brooks dominated Adiwang, overwhelming the Filipino with his wrestling and smothering top control.
He scored a second-round finish with an arm-triangle choke and went on to become a force in the loaded strawweight division.
While Adiwang stumbled after suffering an ACL tear in his next fight, he had a good redemption story and is now riding a three-fight winning streak.
With an invigorated mindset and a fresh new environment and team to prepare with, Adiwang believes he’s ready to take on his old foe again.
“Look at what I’ve done in my last three fights,” Adiwang said. “It speaks for itself. I think I’ve earned the right to be considered for a title shot. If the opportunity arises, I’ll be ready.”
