Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang always knew he was built for mixed martial arts — it was just a matter of finding the right channel to express himself.
He found that channel through Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series, but it was nonetheless a difficult path to walk. He endured many setbacks and disappointments before making it to the big league.
Adiwang remembers one particular moment in 2017 when he got overlooked and eventually referred to ONE Championship’s development league. But little did he know that it would be the start of his career’s upward trajectory.
“There were a lot of us who didn’t get selected — other teams were chosen over us. It was a huge setback,” Adiwang said.
Nearly two years later after that moment, the 26-year-old Filipino will make his main roster debut under the brightest of lights. He takes on Senzo Ikeda in the historic ONE: CENTURY PART I on 13 October at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan.
Using that snub as motivation, “Thunder Kid” racked up three impressive wins in OWS.
Not to be denied this time, the Team Lakay athlete used his previous setbacks as motivation.
“I think it was a good challenge for us mentally,” Adiwang said.
“We learned to understand that this sport isn’t all about who’s the strongest physically, and that if you really want to make it in life or become a champion in a sport, you have to be mentally tough to never give up no matter what happens.”
In retrospect, the Baguio City native admitted that he does not regret going through the developmental phase. It allowed him to hone his craft even further, then turned him into a household name in the Philippines.
“I don’t look back with regrets that I didn’t get a call then because I think this is the perfect time for me to join the big leagues,” Adiwang said.
“The exposure I got because of the hype they built for my matches and the opportunity to introduce me to fans was really unbelievable.”
A journeyman all his career, Adiwang finally became known in the Philippines with his impressive performances in OWS. That remains a big reason why he is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the developmental league.
“I became known internationally because I competed outside the country. Locally, I wasn’t really well known, but after being part of OWS, people were suddenly interested in me,” Adiwang admitted.
“I think it’s a huge help for those aspiring to make it well in the main roster. I’m just one of the examples. If I immediately joined the main roster, I wouldn’t have the right mindset and skills.”
All in all, Adiwang has a message to anyone currently honing their skills in OWS — be patient and their time will come, too.
“OWS can be a great steppingstone where one could hone all these skills until they are really ready for bigger competition.”
Adiwang hopes to leave an impression at ONE: Century, the biggest World Championship martial arts event in history. No organization has ever promoted two full-scale World Championship events in one day with 28 World Champions competing in multiple World Title bouts.
PART I airs live on Cignal TV at 11:00am Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Sunday, 13 October. TV5 will cut-in to live broadcast at 10:30 am.
PART II airs on ABS-CBN S+A or Cignal TV at 6:30pm Philippine Standard Time (PHT). TV5 will show the special delay live at 9:30pm PHT.
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