“He produces entertaining fights” - Keito Yamakita says it was an honor to share the ring with the electric Lito Adiwang

Japanese strawweight contender Keito Yamakita has long wanted to compete against Lito Adiwang for the exciting style of fighting that the Filipino fighter brings each time. He got what he wanted last week and was not disappointed.

'Pocket Monk' took on 'Thunder Kid' in a strawweight MMA clash at ONE Fight Night 28: Prajanchai vs. Barboza on Feb. 8 at the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, and eventually took home the hard-earned unanimous decision victory.

Yamakita made full use of his extensive wrestling background in getting the better of Adiwang. He controlled his opponent on the ground for the majority of the bout and effectively stymied Adiwang's game.

Speaking to combat sports journalist Nick Atkin of The Bangkok Post following his victory, 28-year-old Yamakita shared his thoughts on finally getting the chance to battle Adiwang.

He said:

"I have been watching Adiwang before I came to ONE and I also know that he produces entertaining fights. That’s why I’ve also wished to fight him long before. This time, I had the chance to fight him."

Watch the interview below:

The win at ONE Fight Night 28 was the third straight, and fourth in five matches, for Keito Yamakita in ONE Championship. It also fortified his standing as the No. 4 contender in the strawweight MMA division.

Adiwang, meanwhile, saw his three-fight winning streak come to an end with the defeat to Yamakita. He dropped to 9-4 in his ONE career.

The full replay of ONE Fight Night 28 is available on demand for Prime Video subscribers in North America.

Keito Yamakita delivers on game plan against Lito Adiwang

Keito Yamakita knew he had the edge over Lito Adiwang at ONE Fight Night 28 on the ground and made sure he stuck to his game plan.

Heading into his showdown with Adiwang, the Japanese standout said the key for him was to make his opponent struggle in their battle on the ground. That was exactly what he did, as he took down 'Thunder Kid' whenever possible and worked from there.

Yamakita said:

"Basically, I want to aim for submissions from top control, and if I end up on bottom, I'll look for submissions while creating scrambles. I think this style fits ONE's judging criteria better."

Keito Yamakita did not get the submission finish he was looking for but was still effective in limiting the inroads that Adiwang had in the contest with his solid work on the ground on his way to clinching the unanimous decision win.