ONE Fight Night 19 preview and predictions: Lito Adiwang versus Danial Williams

ONE Fight Night 19 will feature some of the best strikers in the world, but strawweight MMA contenders Lito Adiwang and Danial Williams may very well end up stealing the show.

The two certified finishers are set to collide in just a matter of hours inside the hallowed grounds of Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

The streaking Adiwang has been on a rampage since returning from an 18-month injury lay-off.

After a jaw-dropping 23-second knockout finish of Adrian Mattheis, ‘Thunder Kid’ followed it up with a dominant win over his former tormentor, Jemery Miado.

Williams, on the other hand, wants to shake off his recent slump after falling short in his last two world title forays in kickboxing.

‘Mini T’ is once again looking to disrupt the talent-stacked 125-pound division in his return to mixed martial arts by halting Adiwang’s momentum.

As always, Sportskeeda MMA’s ONE Championship squad has put on their thinking caps to analyze this potential Fight of The Year candidate.

Check out their picks.

Vince Richards

This is practically a Muay Thai fight masquerading as an MMA fight.

Danial Williams and Lito Adiwang are two of the most dangerous strikers in the strawweight division and I don’t expect their fight to ever hit the ground.

These two fighters will use every imaginable strike permissible with the MMA rules, and just go ballistic against each other in Bangkok. Their fight will be a sandstorm of punches, elbows, knees and kicks.

This is a hard fight to predict since both Adiwang and Williams are fully capable of ending a match with just one hit.

Adiwang, however, is the faster and more explosive between the two and I expect his speed to play a huge factor in this matchup.

The Filipino star has an unconventional way of striking due to his wushu background, and it is this unpredictable style that will be the bane of Williams’ existence at ONE Fight Night 19.

Williams will still put up a fight, but I don’t see him matching up with Adiwang’s lethal speed.

Prediction: Lito Adiwang by second-round KO

Mike Murillo

This contest is one of the more explosive ones on offer at ONE Fight Night 19, with Lito Adiwang and Danial Williams known for their aggressive fighting styles.

I see the match concluding inside the distance, with Adiwang winning by KO in the second round.

While Williams has shown the ability to hold his own wherever the fight goes, the power and durability of ‘Thunder Kid’ may pose problems to him in their scheduled showdown and could be the telling factor.

Adiwang is also on a high after winning two straight matches after suffering a knee injury, including a 23-second KO of Adrian Mattheis in September, where he has shown what makes him a truly standout fighter.

He has seemingly fully recovered from the knee injury that sidelined him for more than a year and is back even better with renewed purpose and backed by a new team, making him all the more dangerous.

Prediction: Lito Adiwang by second-round KO

Ted Razon

Both fighters are strikers by trade and it appears that they already have a gentleman’s agreement to keep this one standing. Then again, this is an MMA match where anything goes.

While Williams can do significant damage with his ridiculous knockout power, he remains unproven on the grappling side of things.

Wrestling and BJJ aren’t exactly Adiwang’s strongest suit, but he still holds significant advantages in those areas against ‘Mini T’.

‘Thunder Kid’ does have four submission victories to his name and we’ve already seen him use his underrated grappling in the Circle.

I expect both men to exchange hard shots, but Adiwang would be wise to mitigate the risks by exploiting this hole in Williams’ game.

I see Lito Adiwang capitalizing on opportunities to take this to the ground and do some major damage with his ground and pound before cinching his favorite kimura lock.

Prediction: Lito Adiwang by submission in the second round

James De Rozario

Lito Adiwang is the man in form and I expect him to crack his way onto another statement finish in this striker vs striker showdown alongside ‘Mini T.’

'Thunder Kid’ has left no stone unturned in his quest for greatness at SOMA Fight Club and he would have been able to pick up valuable lessons there to mix his typical aggression in the stand-up department alongside a more refined grappling game to unsettle Williams.

Eventually, that is where I see the match being won. With so little separating the pair on the feet, Lito Adiwang’s power and out-of-the-box action coupled with Williams’ heart to survive any onslaught, the Filipino firecracker might depend on his ground game to outpoint the Perth native.

He won’t have it easy, but as long as he stays one step ahead against the rather one-dimensional ‘Mini T’ I see him leaving the Mecca of Muay Thai with his hand raised by way of ground and pound somewhere in the third canto.

Prediction: Lito Adiwang via TKO in round 3

ONE Fight Night 19 will air live on US Primetime on February 16, free of charge for existing Prime Video subscribers in North America