After a successful run in Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is ready to write the next chapter of his young mixed martial arts career.
The 26-year-old from Baguio City dukes it out with Pancrase Flyweight World Champion Senzo Ikeda on the undercard of ONE: CENTURY Part I at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan on 13 October.
Adiwang earned a six-figure ONE Championship contract after he beat Anthony “The Antidote” Do of Vietnam by unanimous decision in OWS 7 in August.
After conquering OWS, the Filipino wants to carry that momentum to ONE: CENTURY, where he debuts in the biggest martial arts event in history.
“OWS opened a big door of opportunity for me,” Adiwang said. “I took it, and now I am here in the big league. I am going to work my way up, work hard until I get my chance at the World Title.”
“I’ll use my momentum to achieve more,” “Thunder Kid” added. “I’m really grateful for OWS because it gave me the needed exposure.”
Adiwang – who many believe is the next big thing in Philippine mixed martial arts – says there is no substitute for hard work.
The Team Lakay representative will ply his trade in Part I of the biggest World Championship martial arts event in history, but he does not plan to slow down after that.
“My hunger to learn and to improve is always part of my system. I believe that I am here because of my determination and dedication – alongside the people who continue to believe in me,” Adiwang shared.
“Even though I am in the main roster now, I’ll carry the same hunger I had in OWS. I respect all athletes in ONE and they’re here for a reason – they are the best of the best.”
Although he will be under a brighter spotlight, Adiwang embraces the challenge and looks forward to a fruitful career in ONE Championship.
“The pressure is always there, especially with the magnitude of the event that I’ll be competing in,” Adiwang said. “But I am ready both physically and mentally. This is what I have always wanted and what I have always trained for.”
“This is the path for me to reach my dreams. I will go all-out on and show the world that I’m ready for the challenge.”
Find out if “Thunder Kid” is ready for the challenge at ONE: CENTURY on 13 October, where The Home of Martial Arts puts on two full-scale World Championship events in one day.
ONE: CENTURY features 28 World Champions, four World Title bouts, three World Grand Prix Championship Finals, and several World Champion versus World Champion matches.