“I would even move up to flyweight” - Lito Adiwang ready to change weight divisions just to fight Rodtang

Lito Adiwang has been making waves in ONE Championship’s stacked strawweight division, but he’s also open to moving up to flyweight to fight striking dynamo Rodtang Jitmuangnon.

That electrifying match, however, will have to wait since 'The Iron Man' has an important assignment ahead of him.

The ONE flyweight Muay Thai world champion will face Savvas Michael in the semifinals of the ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Grand Prix at ONE 161: Moraes vs. Johnson II on August 26, which broadcasts live on US primetime via Prime Video, from the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In an interview with ONE Championship, Adiwang said that he was thrilled when he found out about Rodtang’s decision to eventually transition to mixed martial arts.

Rodtang gained some MMA experience recently when he fought Demetrious Johnson, the man considered the greatest MMA fighter of all time, in a mixed rules bout at ONE X this past March. That flash experience, however, won’t be enough, pointed 'Thunder Kid'.

Lito Adiwang said:

“He would probably need a full year of pure MMA training in order to really be competitive in this sport. But he’s in his prime and if he wins this tournament, he will have nothing left to prove as a striker. I am really willing to welcome him when he switches over to MMA. I would even move up to flyweight to face him.”

Nevertheless, the Filipino star is looking forward to a potential showcase against the Muay Thai legend:

“When I heard he was thinking about transitioning to mixed martial arts, I got really excited. I thought to myself, ‘This is my chance to fight Rodtang.’”

Adiwang is a natural striker with seven of his 13 victories coming by knockout. Despite his Wushu Sanda background, ‘Thunder Kid’ also has the grappling chops with four submission wins under his belt.

Rodtang, meanwhile, is called ‘The Iron Man’ for a reason. The Thai megastar doesn’t just possess pure napalm in his strikes, but also possesses a near invulnerable chin.

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Lito Adiwang recovering well following his knee injury

Lito Adiwang is undoubtedly one of the most exciting fighters in the division. However, 'Thunder Kid' has lost two out of four bouts recently. In his most recent outing, the 29-year-old tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Adiwang suffered the debilitating injury during his match against fellow Filipino knockout artist Jeremy Miado at ONE X this past March.

Fortunately, Adiwang is recovering well and feels that he can get back to intense training sessions earlier than expected:

“The doctor told me it would take more or less an entire year to fully recover, just to be on the safe side. He also told me that my recovery could be quicker, depending on how my body responds to the physical therapy. It appears I am ahead of schedule, and I think I’ll be back to full intense training in about a month.”