Ferocious striker Lito Adiwang eager to showcase his underrated ground game vs Keito Yamakita: “That’s what we’re fine-tuning”

While Lito Adiwang is best known for his stand-up skills, 'Thunder Kid' is eager to flex his ground game against Japanese standout Keito Yamakita.

After scoring wins over Adrian Mattheis, Jeremy Miado, and Danial Williams in his last three outings, Adiwang will face his toughest test yet when he squares off with the fifth-ranked contender in the strawweight MMA division at ONE Fight Night 28 on Prime Video.

It's a big moment for Adiwang, who plans on putting his grappling game to the test against Yamakita, a fighter with three first-round submission finishes in his professional mixed martial arts career.

Adiwang told The MMA Superfan:

"It has taken me away from showcasing my ground game. That’s what we’re fine-tuning now, which I think will work in my upcoming match."

He added:

"We’ll have an all-around game, not just focusing on defending against his takedowns because we know that he has a good base, and he is a grinder."

Lito Adiwang goes into his 14th appearance with the promotion boasting an impressive 10-3 record, 16-5 overall.

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Lito Adiwang is excited to finally throw hands with 'Pocket Monk'

Lito Adiwang has had his eyes on a fight with Keito Yamakita for some time, but with 'Pocket Monk' sitting as the fifth-ranked contender in the strawweight MMA division, 'Thunder Kid' thinks now is the perfect time for the two to square off on martial arts' biggest global stage.

"It's the perfect time for me to return, and I got my wish of fighting someone in the top five of the rankings. I think it's the second or third time that Keito and I were tried to be matched together, and it's finally our time to face each other."

Yamakita goes into their scrap inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok with a 10-1 record, three of those wins coming inside the Circle. Will he make it win number four, or will the Filipino fan favorite extend his streak to four and snatch himself a slot in the top five?

ONE Championship fans can watch ONE Fight Night 28 live on Amazon Prime Video in both the United States and Canada in U.S. primetime on Friday, February 7.