After an 18-month hiatus from action due to a series of unfortunate setbacks, Lito Adiwang is gearing up for his much-anticipated return.
“The Thunder Kid” will face Indonesia’s Adrian Mattheis in a three-round strawweight duel on the undercard of ONE Friday Fights 34. The event will take place at the world-renowned Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 22nd.
It has been a long and challenging road for Adiwang, who was sidelined due to an unfortunate ACL injury he sustained during his bout against Jeremy Miado in March 2022.
Originally scheduled to make his comeback in January against Russian newcomer Mansur Malachiev, fate had other plans for him as recurring pain in his right knee forced him out of the match.
When he publicly announced his departure from Team Lakay this past July, Adiwang made a solemn assurance to his fans that he had fully recovered from the ordeal.
Now representing the Bali, Indonesia-headquartered HIIT Studio camp, the 30-year-old Baguio City native enters the matchup against Mattheis with a 13-5 professional record, including seven knockouts and four submissions.
However, Adiwang is coming off two consecutive defeats and is looking to secure his first win since his dominant unanimous decision victory over Hexigetu in September 2021.
On the other hand, Mattheis has been a promotional mainstay since 2016, holding a win-loss record of 11-6 with a 91-percent finishing rate.
The biggest moment in Mattheis’ career occurred in March 2022 when he scored a stunning upset at the expense of former ONE strawweight champion Alex Silva, winning by way of second-round technical knockout.
The two fighters faced off again nearly three months later, with Silva securing the victory this time around via first-round submission.
Last February, “Papua Badboy” managed to make his way back into the winner’s circle, stopping Zelang Zhaxi in just 57 seconds.
It’s safe to say that Mattheis presents a formidable challenge for Adiwang, adding to the intrigue of the upcoming showdown between these two hard-hitting strawweights.
