SINCE being sidelined with an ACL injury 18 months ago, Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang has envisioned his return to the ONE Championship stage.
Now that it’s finally here, he couldn’t be any happier with his opponent.
Adiwang faces the always entertaining Adrian “Papua Badboy” Mattheis at ONE Friday Fights 34: Rodtang vs. Superlek. The strawweight MMA fight could go down as the fight of the night when they meet inside Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on September 22.
“He’s the perfect guy to face in my return. I’ve been thinking hard on my comeback, and I’ve always wanted someone who’s willing to go toe-to-toe, not someone who’s going to play it safe,” he said.
That assessment certainly fits Mattheis. One look at his resume and fans can instantly see what Adiwang is talking about.
Of his 11 wins, 10 have come from finishes. In fact, Mattheis has only reached the judges’ scorecards twice in his career – a testament to his willingness to give fans a show each time he competes.
“He’s a warrior, he’s a bad man, he’s called the ‘Papua Badboy’ for a reason, so I think he’ll go toe-to-toe with me – be it in striking or in exciting scrambles,” he said.
“If he decides to press forward, I’m assuring an exciting fight in my return.”
But while Adiwang is wary of what Mattheis brings to this fight, he is confident that his return will be successful.
“A finish is in the works,” he said. “That’s the game plan – get that finish.”