Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is ready to recapture his lost thunder as he returns to action for the first time in over a year.
The 30-year-old is staging his comeback against Adrian “Papua Badboy” Matheis at ONE Friday Fights 34 on September 22 at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Masaya ako at finally, makakabalik na din ako sa ring to continue the dream,” he said.
It’s a long road back for Adiwang who tore his ACL at ONE X against Jeremy “The Jaguar” Miado last year and had to rethink his future, leaving Team Lakay and has found a new home with HIIT Studio in Bali, Indonesia.
But Thunder Kid is ecstatic that this fresh start can only net him positives as he looks to brandish his new and improved self while reasserting his position as one of the top contenders in the strawweight division.
“Tingin ko, if everything will work as planned, makikita natin ang mas technical na Thunder Kid combined with more power,” he said.
Matheis though is no pushover, as seen in his last match where he knocked out Zelang “Lil’ Gun” Zhaxi at ONE Fight Night: Lineker vs. Andrade II last February.
Yet Adiwang has full trust in his capabilities, saying, “I need to show him that there are levels in this game.
“I may be out for more than a year but it only boosted the fire in me to get back in the game and win against whoever they put in front of me. I’m here doing the work and sacrifice to level up my game, improve the things that I need to improve on. Para sa akin, I will do my very best to win this fight,” he said.
Adiwang’s comeback fight coincides with a banger main event with Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon defending his ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship against the reigning ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion “The Kicking Machine” Superlek Kiatmoo9.