Lito Adiwang says Mansur Malachiev would have KO'd Bokang Masunyane under different circumstances: "It would have been a different story"

Lito Adiwang is always keeping a close eye on the strawweight contenders that are in and around him in the rankings.

The Filipino competitor watched on at the recent ONE Fight Night 25 event as two of the best in the division were matched-up for the first time.

At Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, elite grapplers locked horns when Bokang Masunyane faced off with Mansur Malachiev. With both men only having losses to the two current titleholders in the division, the fight was always going to be a high-level affair.

They ended up going the full three rounds, during which the sharper and cleaner striking of Malachiev ended up getting him the victory.

Neither man was able to dominate the fight with their grappling so it ended up playing out as a striking contest where the Russian had the slightest advantage.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Adiwang said he believes Malachiev could have got the finish if he was just a bit more dangerous whilst the fight was standing:

"It would have been a different story if his opponent had a different style. If only Mansur was sharper and about 70 percent of a striker, Bokang would have been knocked out."

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Lito Adiwang sees Mansur Malachiev, Bokang Masunyane as potential opponents

Lito Adiwang has been able to put himself right back in the mix at strawweight with his current winning streak.

After suffering substantial injuries, Adiwang was forced to remain inactive for a year and a half before returning in September of last year.

With three wins in a row under his belt, Adiwang is now looking to face off with a top contender to get himself back in the title picture.

An opponent like Bokang Masunyane or even Mansur Malachiev to build a case for himself in pursuit of the world title shot would make a lot of sense for the Filipino competitor.