Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang has revenge on his mind.
The Filipino star is gearing up for his highly anticipated strawweight MMA rematch with compatriot Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado in U.S. primetime on November 3 at ONE Fight Night 16: Haggerty vs. Andrade on Prime Video.
When Adiwang enters the iconic ring at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, he’ll be looking to avenge a March 2022 loss to Miado that ended with a disappointing and inconclusive finish.
The 30-year-old spoke to onefc.com about that first meeting:
“There are a lot of what-ifs from that fight, and I don’t like that.”
The pair’s first matchup had all the makings of an unforgettable war, and through two-and-a-half rounds, it delivered just that. But disaster struck when Adiwang suffered an unexpected, devastating knee injury that quickly led to a stoppage victory for “The Jaguar.”
The ACL tear forced “Thunder Kid” to the sidelines for 18 long months, but he enjoyed a successful return to competition with a lightning-quick knockout of Adrian Mattheis at ONE Friday Fights 34 in September.
Now, he’s excited to finally prove himself against Miado:
“Once and for all, we’re gonna be facing each other again. I know fans are excited. I’m excited as well. I’m just praying that we get to show what we’re capable of without injuries, so that we can reach the expectations of the fans and satisfy our expectations within ourselves as well.”
Clearly, the painful loss has stuck with Adiwang. Throughout his lengthy road to recovery, he never stopped thinking about evening the score with Miado.
With that in mind, he’s sending some pre-fight words to his fellow Filipino:
“To Jeremy, I know you’re preparing well. I know you’re frustrated with the result as well. I know there are a lot of people bugging you after that fight, and all I can say is let’s finish this now. Let’s give a great conclusion to this fight. Let’s give our best and give a good show. Stay healthy, and good luck to both of us.”
‘I Need To Push More’ – Adiwang Outlines Strategy For Miado Rematch
Now injury-free and in top form, Lito Adiwang is confident he has a winning game plan against Jeremy Miado.
“Thunder Kid” and his team have studied the first fight, made the necessary adjustments, and will approach the rematch with a strategy that emphasizes aggression from the opening bell.
Adiwang explained:
“Looking back, my leg kicks were working in that fight, and it’s still something that I plan to use but now we’re looking to incorporate everything. I’m working on connecting everything – from leg kicks to punches to timing that takedown.
“In this fight, I believe I need to push more. In our first fight, we were both feeling it out, waiting for one to make a mistake. I wasn’t that aggressive. This time, I need to be more active, more aggressive, but in a smart way.”
An explosive striker with eight highlight-reel knockouts on his resume, the Soma Fight Club representative also plans to showcase some of his ever-evolving grappling skills at ONE Fight Night 16:
“I believe that this fight will eventually reach the ground, regardless of how it gets there. I see this fight becoming a ground battle. Maybe I can control him there, then submit him. That’s how I see this fight happening.”
However the fight plays out, Adiwang is sure he’ll secure the stoppage victory, exact revenge, and provide the conclusive ending that fans want to see.
He added:
“This is going to be a finish, whether it be a knockout or submission by yours truly, the ‘Thunder Kid.’”
