All hail, The King is back in the winning circle.
Team Lakay’s Danny “The King” Kingad has displayed yet another masterful performance when he outdueled Indonesian Eko Roni Saputra in his own game en route to a unanimous decision victory during ONE Fight Night 7 at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand on weekend.
Known as a wushu-based fighter, Kingad caught the crowd by surprise when he executed body lock suplex that slammed Saputra to the mat.
Prior to the fight, fans were expecting that Saputra, a bronze and silver medalist in freestyle wrestling in the Southeast Asian Games, will dominate Kingad with his world-class wrestling skills.
But it was Kingad who proved to be the more dominant fighter in the grappling exchanges, a proof that the ground game of Team Lakay fighters has improved through the years.
Kingad also dominated the stand-up fight exchanges, as he landed crisp punches to the body, powerful leg kicks, and a spinning back elbow that wobbled the Indonesian.
It was a sweet comeback for Kingad after a 14-month hiatus, since losing to former world champion Kairat Akhmetov in December 2021 via unanimous decision. Kingad was never knocked out in his MMA career.
He also ended the seven win streak of the Indonesian who earned his second defeat in nine professional fights.
Kingad, who traces his roots to Sadanga, Mountain Province, also retained his third rank in the deep flyweight division currently lorded by former Ultimate Fighting Championship champion Demetrius Johnson. – Harley F. Palangchao
