March 29, 2024

Team Lakay’s Lito Adiwang is hoping for a rematch with Japan’s Hiroba Minowa after his impressive technical knockout victory against another Japanese opponent in ONE: Unbreakable in Singapore on Jan. 22.
The 27-year-old Adiwang wants to even the score with Minowa, who defeated him via split decision in November 2019 that ended his seven-game winning streak.
ONE Championship fans around the world have been requesting for an immediate rematch between Adiwang and Minowa, as many of them claimed the Japanese fighter made a tap to a deep kimura armlock in the first round, which was not noticed by the referee.
Instead of an immediate rematch, Adiwang was set to fight Hexu Getu, a veteran Chinese mixed martial arts fighter, who later withdrew from the bout for still undisclosed reasons.
Instead, Adiwang faced Namiki Kawahara, also of Japan, in the strawweight bout on Jan. 22, finishing the Japanese fighter with a perfect left hook that floored the latter in the second round.
Adiwang, who enjoys a legion of fans around the world for his explosiveness inside the circle, displayed anew his feared striking arsenal by bludgeoning his rival’s legs and body with powerful roundhouse kicks on the outside.
The Igorot warrior did not go easy on his opponent, who was a former champion from a different MMA promotion before he signed with ONE Championship, the biggest MMA promotion in Asia.
The stoppage victory got Adiwang back on the winning track and pushed his record to 12 wins and three losses.
“This was the toughest fight camp I have faced, but to God be the glory, I got the win,” the emotional Filipino told Mitch Chilson in his post-bout interview.
“To my family, we’ve been through a lot, I love you so much. This is for you, this is for you mama,” added Adiwang, whose family is mourning the recent passing of his mother. – Harley F. Palangchao