TWO more Team Lakay fighters will see action in ONE Championship’s opening salvo event in the country headlined by strawweight world champion Joshua Pacio defending his title against former world titlist Alex Silva.
Former ONE world title challenger Danny Kingad and ONE Warrior Series alum Lito Adiwang will be part of a stacked fight card by the largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship as it returns to the Mall of Asia Arena January 31 dubbed ONE: Fire & Fury.
Kingad is back in ONE to face China’s Xie Wei in a flyweight clash while Adiwang sees action against Thailand’s Pongsiri Mitsatit in an explosive strawweight match.
Since challenging Adriano Moraes for the title in 2017, Kingad, considered one of the hottest prospects in Philippine mixed martial arts has won six out of his last seven bouts.
Kingad blitzed through the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix with victories over Senzo Ikeda and Reece McLaren, and then faced legend Demetrious Johnson in the final round.
The former title contender now starts his climb back to the top anew against Xie, who earned his start on Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series.
Adiwang will also look to continue his rise through the ranks when he faces Mitsatit.
Starting his career in ONE Championship via ONE Warrior Series, where he railed off three impressive victories to earn a six-figure contract with the promotion, Adiwang made a successful main roster debut back in October, when he finished the highly-regarded Senzo Ikeda in the first round.
Mitsatit, on the other hand, is one of the most promising young talents out of Thailand.
The Chiang Mai representative owns eight knockout victories out of 10 wins on his resume and promises to bring the action right to Adiwang in this clash of exciting strawweights.
Other Team Lakay fighters who will see action in the fight card is former ONE lightweight world champion Eduard Folayang returning to action against Pakistan’s Ahmed Mujtaba.
Folayang is on a comeback trail after scoring a second round technical decision against Mongolian Tsogookhuu Amarsana also in November 8.
Gina Iniong who last saw action in One in February with a victory against Hayatun Jihin Radzuan, will be in the undercard against India’s Asha Roka who debuted for One Championship last August, taking on two-sport World Champion Stamp Fairtex.
Looking to get back on the winning track is the Philippines’ Jomary Torres, who locks horns with former One world title challenger Jenny Huang of Chinese Taipei.
Torres is primarily a boxer and a wrestler, while Huang is a judo black belt. Both women are hungry for victory as fans can expect a thrilling battle between the two as only one will emerge victorious.
Last on the mixed martial arts spectrum is a showdown between taekwondo black belt “Pretty Boy” Kwon Won Il of South Korea and Shooto Bantamweight World Champion Shoko Sato of Japan.
Also on the card is a trio of One Super Series Muay Thai contests.
Australia’s Alma Juniku takes on Anne Line Hogstad of Norway. Former One flyweight kickboxing world champion Petchdam Petchyindee Academy goes head-to-head with Japan’s Kohei Kodera. Finally, Thailand’s Rodlek PK. Saenchaimuaythaigym does battle with Chris Shaw of Scotland.