Lito "Thunder Kid" Adiwang rued his carelessness in recovery as he felt it played a part in his loss to #4-ranked strawweight MMA contender Keito Yamakita in February.
Adiwang was dominated by the Japanese fighter for three rounds en route to a unanimous decision loss at ONE Fight Night 28, denying the Filipino once again of a win against a ranked contender.
READ: Fil-Am striker Sean Climaco eyes second straight win in ONE
"It pains me to see how everything I worked for went to waste as my body was reacting differently. My stomach was getting tighter and tighter, especially on the ground. When I went back to Bali, I had inflammation in my stomach," Adiwang said.
"There was some bleeding after the fight. They said it was the large food intake and the high acid intake. I was drinking a lot of coffee and [eating] spicy food during that stretch as well. It might be all the rice as well. Rice and coffee. That was on me. I wasn't being mindful."
"I really feel at a loss because I think that was my best camp ever. I was so strong even when I was managing my weight. I came in really confident but it's really the recovery."
While he believes proper recovery would've allowed him to fare better, Adiwang acknowledges that the loss can ultimately be attributed to their difference in wrestling.
Once again, Adiwang had no answers to a strong wrestler as Yamakita picked him apart from the onset while Adiwang had glaring mistakes on the mat.
"Looking at the fight proper, I can admit that I was outworked on the ground. I guess I have to go back and work on more drills when it comes to my grappling. I have to stay composed and relaxed, I have to find a way to save strength while escaping," Adiwang said.
"I think that's my biggest mistake there. When I was trying to escape, I'm utilizing all my energy and when I get out, I was usually spent. Chalk that up to my wrong decisions on the ground, like pushing on the opposite end, instead of the other."
Despite another loss to a wrestler, Adiwang vows to keep improving and working on his limitations until he reaches his goals.
"I really have to be more comfortable the moment it hits the ground,” he said. “The only way we can get more comfortable in those positions is to get uncomfortable in the gym."
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