Fritz "Kid Tornado" Biagtan will enter Lumpinee Stadium with one clear goal — earning a spot on ONE Championship’s main roster.
To achieve this, he must not only defeat South Africa's Edson Machavane in their flyweight MMA contest but also deliver an impressive performance when they meet at ONE Friday Fights 103 on April 4 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
If everything goes according to plan for Biagtan, he'll secure the US$100,000 contract to join the main roster alongside his wife, current ONE Interim Atomweight MMA World Champion Denice Zamboanga — becoming the first husband-wife duo to compete in ONE Championship.
But he's maintaining perspective.
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"Last year we were this close. I still need to work for it. I am hopeful that we will be on the top soon. Hopefully we get that contract," he said.
"I always have to stay humble. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I want to keep improving."
He recognizes the need for continued improvement, especially after feeling dissatisfied with his last performance.
Though he earned a unanimous decision win over Sayed Ali Asli in his previous bout, he was far from content with his showing, particularly with how his opponent rallied late.
Asli managed to control him in the third round, forcing the 29-year-old to defend. Thankfully, Biagtan had done enough in the first two rounds to secure the victory.
"I need to improve more after this fight, I'm not really satisfied with this performance," Biagtan said after that win.
"I dominated him through striking, but for me that's not enough. I really experienced trouble in this fight.”
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