There’s a new kid in town in the ONE Championship strawweight division — a “Thunder Kid”, to be exact.
Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang made good on his promise to make his debut one to remember, scoring a first-round TKO win over Senzo Ikeda at ONE: Century Part I on Sunday, October 13, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
“I feel very happy. I know he’s a tough opponent — he’s a hometown hero. But I was here to win and I prepared hard, so I came and I conquered,” Adiwang said.
“My message to the division is, ‘There’s a new kid in town. The hype is real.’”
Expecting the unexpected against the grizzled Japanese vet, the match eventually went to the ground — a surprising scenario considering both men’s willingness to strike.
The moment things turned into a grappling contest was the turning point for “Thunder Kid”, though. He then locked on the Americana to eventually injure Ikeda’s elbow.
“I was reading his tactics because I know he was ready to counter my strikes,” Adiwang shared.
“I was looking at how he’ll react with what I’ll do. He shot for a takedown and thankfully, I got the submission. I kept on telling the referee that his arm is broken, but Senzo was saying ‘no’ that’s why it took long.”
Ikeda’s resilience was in full-display as he never submitted to Adiwang, ultimately forcing the referee to stop the contest .
“He was really a warrior. His fighting spirit is something else,” the Team Lakay athlete said.
“But that’s what I expected from him. I needed to put him to sleep or break something [to win].”
With a rousing debut behind him, the 26-year-old is now on the lookout for what comes next, and he is not picky with his options.
“I’ll face anyone. I’m here to take on all my bouts. I want to become a World Champion in ONE,” Adiwang said.
“Anyone given to me, I’ll accept, and I’ll prepare for it.”
ONE Championship returns in less than two weeks with ONE: Dawn of Valor on October 25 at the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Read More From ONE Championship:
Lito Adiwang Stuns Senzo Ikeda In Round One
Lito Adiwang Credits OWS For Making Him Ready For The Global Stage
