Lito Adiwang believes Bali is the perfect environment for his growth: “They see what I envision myself doing”

At ONE Friday Fights 34, Filipino MMA star Lito Adiwang makes his return after his lengthy break from the sport since his last bout in March 2022.

Against fellow Filipino MMA stalwart Jeremy Miado at ONE X, the promotion's 10th anniversary celebration, 'Thunder Kid' fought a good fight but also suffered a severe knee injury that sidelined him.

During his road to recovery, the striking specialist had to overcome numerous physical and mental upheavals just to be able to train and get back in top shape. Lito Adiwang also made the difficult decision of switching gyms from his long-time stable Team Lakay in the Philippines to HIIT Studio in Indonesia.

Ahead of his bout with Adrian Mattheis at ONE Friday Fights 34, Lito Adiwang sat down with The MMA Superfan to provide some insight on his return. In the lengthy interview, 'Thunder Kid' said this about his move to his new Bali gym:

"It’s pretty hard to say or to promise anything especially since we’re surprised with what’s happening and just like before I already said ‘this might be my last camp’ but something happened."

Lito Adiwang continued:

"For me, if this is where I will grow, if this is where I will develop as a fighter, and I can see that this is the place where they give all the support. They see what I envision myself doing, so that’s really what I need. That’s the motivation I need right now."

Watch the full interview with The MMA Superfan here:

Sometimes, one has to make the huge decision of moving to a different environment in order to make major improvements in whatever endeavor they pursue.

In this case, Lito Adiwang had to move to a completely different gym in a different country to improve on his strengths and fix holes in his game. Here's to hoping that he comes back with a brand-new sense of tenacity.

ONE Friday Fights 34, headlined by Muay Thai stars Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9, is available on the ONE Super App, the official ONE Championship YouTube channel, and other digital platforms on September 22.