LITO Adiwang tagged Namiki Kawahara with a killer left hook to post a second-round knockout victory on Friday at ONE: Unstoppable in Singapore.
The Filipino rising star got back in the strawweight title hunt with an emphatic performance, tagging the Japanese with a thunderous hook and a pair of punches that forced the referee's hand to wave the fight off at the 2:03 mark of round two.
An inspired Adiwang improved to 12-3, and showed that his split decision defeat to Hiroba Minowa last November was nothing but a bump in the road.
It was also a gratifying triumph for the Team Lakay bet, who dedicated the fight to his late mother Leticia.
"It's been tough for me, very emotional coming into this fight. There were a lot of challenges entering this bout, I tested myself here, honestly, this is the toughest fight I faced. I was not able to prepare well but to God be the glory," he said.
"We've been through a lot. To my family, I love you so much. This is for you, mama."
Kawahara, who is the reigning DEEP Strawweight Champion, fell to a 7-3-2 record.