Filipino veteran Lito Adiwang’s advice to the Philippines’ new generation of MMA stars: “You can’t be one-dimensional”

Everyone wants to make it big in MMA, but staying on top takes more than just heart and hustle. It takes adaptability and evolution, and Lito Adiwang has been in the scene long enough to know this by heart.

The hard-hitting Filipino has fought through some of ONE Championship’s toughest matchups. If there’s one thing he wants to pass on to the new generation of Filipino fighters rising through the ranks, it’s this: don’t stop learning.

Speaking with ONE Championship in an exclusive interview, he shared his advice for new fighters:

"Don’t make the mistake of just focusing on one thing and ignoring other facets of the game. Because you’re gonna need to expand your game when you continue winning and meet higher level fighters. You can’t be one-dimensional. You have to find a way to win and find a balance in becoming a complete mixed martial artist."

“The resurgence of Philippine MMA” - Lito Adiwang proud to see Filipinos back on top of the MMA landscape

For years, Filipino fighters like Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, and Joshua Pacio helped shape the identity of MMA in Asia. While the spotlight dimmed briefly, Lito Adiwang saw a shift happening, and he liked what he saw.

"With the way things are going today, we can say that this is really the resurgence of Philippine MMA," he said in the aforementioned interview.

He added:

"We’ve been building momentum over the past few months, and it’s time to rise once more."

New names are breaking through, fresh talent is getting noticed, and the fire is being passed on. As one of the country’s most battle-tested athletes, Adiwang is proud to see the next wave stepping up and is ready to make sure they’re ready for whatever comes next.

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