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Lito Adiwang admitted that he's been struggling to make the strawweight limit. Adiwang, aged 32, has been a staple in the ONE strawweight MMA division since his promotional debut in October 2018.
The Filipino superstar, also known as 'Thunder Kid,' could be nearing a change in his division due to growing difficulties in maintaining his fight weight.
He had this to say during a recent interview with ONE Championship.
"Now I have to admit as I get older, as the days go by, I struggle making strawweight now. Usually I would be so strong and so good during training but once I start shedding that weight, once I go down 59 kilos and below, I lose my strength and endurance. I think that’s the reason why after the first round, I’m spent."
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Lito Adiwang has produced a well-respected comeback story during his ONE tenure. He suffered a torn ACL in March 2022 against Jeremy Miado, forcing him to endure a brutal recovery process and remain sidelined for a year and a half.
'Thunder Kid' bounced back from the injury and secured three consecutive wins, including a unanimous decision against Miado.
Lito Adiwang "wasn't happy" with his performance against Keito Yamakita
On February 7, Lito Adiwang attempted to enter the ONE strawweight MMA rankings by extending his three-fight winning streak.
Unfortunately for him, Keito Yamakita utilized his dominant grappling skills to secure a unanimous decision win at ONE Fight Night 28.
While speaking to ONE, Adiwang had this to say about his performance against Yamakita:
"After my last fight, I really wanted to get back quickly. I wasn't happy with my performance at all. I made that critical mistake of loading up on my recovery meal after, and I paid dearly for it."
Keito Yamakita's win against Lito Adiwang placed him at the number four ranking in the ONE strawweight MMA division. The Japanese contender could be one win away from a title shot, depending on his next opponent.
Meanwhile, Adiwang could be moving up to flyweight in the division controlled by Yuya Wakamatsu. Other top contenders in the division are Adriano Moraes, Danny Kingad, Sanzhar Zakirov, Reece McLaren, and Hu Yong.
