LITO “Thunder Kid” Adiwang became one of the biggest crowd favorites in ONE Championship as his pedal-to-the-metal style has endeared him to fans not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well.
Now wanting to push his limits, Adiwang plans to move to ONE Super Series to challenge ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon in a titanic crossover match.
It might sound crazy to some considering that he could be facing the very best in the sport in his ONE Super Series debut, but for Adiwang it’s a dream.
“I’m really willing to fight him – 1,000 percent. I’ll cross over to ONE Super Series if they give me Rodtang. I know I’ll come in as a heavy underdog, but I believe I have the tools to beat Rodtang because I’ve been seeing holes in his game,” Adiwang said.
“I’ve seen the clamor of our fans to see this fight, but it’s not just them, it’s me. I really want this fight, and I really believe that when we face each other, we can bring out an exciting match. I’ll be at my best because I know I can do it once I face Rodtang.”
And while not many people may give him a chance against Rodtang, who remains undefeated in ONE Super Series, Adiwang believes he’s discovered the formula to the Rodtang puzzle.
Looking back at the Thai’s matches against Danial “Mini-T” Williams and Walter Goncalves, “Thunder Kid” believes both men created the blueprint to beating the Jitmuangnon star.
“In his last fight against ‘Mini-T,’ it showed his weakness. [Danial Williams] wasn’t really engaging him in a phonebooth battle. He was patient and he was countering with his strikes. In that fight, we didn’t see the go-for-broke Rodtang that much, and that’s because of ‘Mini-T’s’ style,” Adiwang said.
“We all know Rodtang is an elite striker. He has strong and fast kicks and he’s very technical, but ‘Mini-T’ hung in there because he countered using his punches. The same can be said against his Brazilian opponent [Walter Goncalves], who was also patient against Rodtang.
“I think the key is to not be pulled in Rodtang’s game. He’s a master in getting in his opponent’s heads. He’s won a lot of fights already because of that. Give him different looks, different combinations from the usual Muay Thai combinations, and I believe he’ll struggle.”
If the match happens, Adiwang knows he’ll come in as a major underdog, and rightfully so. But at the end of the day, he believes Rodtang is only human and beatable.
“I’ve visualized this a hundred times. He’s just human. He’s one hell of an athlete, but he’s human. If I can do my part, I can pull the trigger and make the impossible happen,” he said.
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