Lito Adiwang thanks loyal fans after comeback victory over Adrian Mattheis: “I’ve been through a lot”

Fresh from an 18-month lay-off due to ACL surgery, Lito Adiwang reminded his detractors that he’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Living up to his nickname, ‘Thunder Kid’ opened the ONE Friday Fights 34 festivities with a bang last weekend, needing just 23 seconds to separate Adrian Mattheis from his consciousness inside Bangkok’s Lumpinee Stadium.

Adiwang came out swinging as soon as the bell rang, clocking ‘Papua Badboy’ with a straight right hand. The Filipino firecracker followed his downed opponent to the ground and unloaded a violent barrage to finish the job.

In his post-match interview with the South China Morning Post MMA, a gracious Adiwang dedicated the win to his loyal followers and thanked everyone who stuck with him through the hard times:

“Yeah, so I just want [to say to] everyone, my fans and supporters out there who believed in me, motivated me, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. This victory is for you guys. This victory is for us!"

The much-needed win improved Adiwang’s record to 14-5, effectively snapping his two-fight skid in the process.

Fans and pundits alike wondered if the explosive 30-year-old supreme athlete would ever return to his old form after suffering a setback to his knee injury earlier this year.

Safe to say, Adiwang put those questions to bed with his emphatic victory.

Moreover, the HIIT Studio standout admitted he overcame adversity throughout his entire camp and left a heartfelt message to those experiencing their own personal battles. He added:

“As I've said before, I’ve been through a lot. Depression came. I’ve been to the lowest of the lows. So, the only thing that I can [say] now is, if you will go through that moment, just don’t give up. Don’t give up, know that you have purpose in this life and just talk to someone. If you cannot talk to your family, talk to someone close to you, just don’t give up in this life. Life is so beautiful.”

Watch the full interview:

The full replay of ONE Friday Fights 34 is available on ONE Championship’s official YouTube channel.