Lito Adiwang picks Xiong Jing Nan to prevail in ONE Championship: Heavy Hitters main event

Lito Adiwang believes Xiong Jing Nan will retain her ONE Championship women's strawweight world championship when she faces Ayaka Miura in the ONE: Heavy Hitters main event on January 14.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Team Lakay's "Thunder Kid" bared what he thinks are the Chinese champion's keys to victory over her Japanese challenger.

“For me, I will give the edge to Xiong Jing Nan given that she is a well-rounded fighter and she also she has tasted and experienced championship fights. She knows how it feels to go a full five rounds, so for me, she will use that as an advantage to win the fight, besides her skills."

Indeed, the experience is there for Jing Nan. Holding an MMA record of 16-2, "The Panda" has only lost once in the last seven years. Her sole defeat came in a failed challenge for Angela Lee's ONE women's atomweight world title.

Since that setback in 2019, she has resumed her strawweight title defense. She went the distance for a pair of unanimous decisions against Tiffany Teo and Michelle Nicolini.

Adiwang gave credit to Miura, who has won her last four fights with a deadly streak of scarf-hold armbars. However, he still expects Jing Nan's veteran mettle to give the necessary edge in the ONE Championship year-opener.

“[I have] no doubt that Ayaka will come in this fight fired up and hungry to win, but I see Xiong Jing Nan playing this smart, out-striking Ayaka, and defending Ayaka’s takedowns and submissions.”

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Xiong Jing Nan looking to start strong in 2022 ONE Championship campaign

Xiong Jing Nan's strawweight title defense on January 14 will mark the 34-year-old's sixth title defense, dating back to 2018.

She has since stated that she is considering a return to atomweight to once again challenge for Angela Lee's title, complete her redemption arc in that division and be "unstoppable" for 2022.

If she's to do that, she'll have to overcome underdog challenger Miura this Friday. Be sure to tune into ONE: Heavy Hitters to see the action unfold.