FROM the moment Danny 'The King' Kingad landed the first takedown on Eko Roni Saputra, he believed he could bag a win over the highly touted Indonesian.
Kingad showcased his well-rounded game en route to a unanimous decision win over Saputra in their flyweight match at ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II last 25 February, inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
Kingad not just a striker
A lot of people expected “The King” to utilize his striking advantage against the Indonesian, who had won his last seven matches with his world-class wrestling.
Much to the surprise of everyone, it was the Filipino who changed levels and scored the initial takedown of the match, changing the complexity of their tussle altogether.
“Our game plan was really focused on striking originally, but I saw that I can stay ahead of him in both striking and wrestling. I proved that we can do all aspects of MMA,” Kingad said.
“When he gave me the opening to take him down, I just went for it, because I was able to grab a hold of his body - and that’s when I decided to do it.”
From that moment forward, Kingad was in control.
The 27-year-old got everything he wanted in the match, and when he did get taken down by the wrestler, he sprung back up.
He even got the near-finish in the second round, as he visibly hurt Saputra on the feet after connecting with clean punches and a spinning elbow, though Saputra survived the onslaught.
“The King” initially wanted a finish in that round, but at the end of the day he had already made his point.
“I think I lacked in following up on my attacks. I’m gonna rewatch the fight, and will take a look at what I can improve on in my training,” he said.
“Of course, we were keen to prove that Team Lakay is not just a strikers-only gym. Ground game, wrestling, striking - all of that we have now and we can do it in the cage.”
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