Adiwang, lumipat na sa Bali-based MMA team

ni Gerard Arce @Sports | July 14, 2023

Kinumpirma ni hard-hitting strawweight fighter Lito “Thunderkid” Adiwang ang pag-alis sa Team Lakay upang ibandera ang Bali-based HIIT Studio mixed martial arts team mula Indonesia para ipagpatuloy ang kanyang karera sa ONE Championships.

Kabilang ang 30-anyos na MMA fighter na umalis ng pamosong Filipino-based MMA stable kabilang sina dating ONE champions Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Honorio Banario, Jeremy Pacatiw, Edward Kelly at Joshua “Passion” Pacio na nagtayo ng panibagong grupo na Lions Nation MMA.

Naunang nagtungo sa Thailand si Adiwang upang makakuha ng bagong karanasan mula kina Absolute MMA boxing trainer Piotr Lieb, MMA coach Joseph Luciano at Muay Thai mentor Leamthong Leenoi. “I needed to make the sacrifice and do the right thing, so I packed my bags and decided to come and train here in Phuket,” pahayag ni Adiwang, na pansamantalang bumalik ng Pilipinas bago tuluyang magtungo sa Indonesia para sa HIIT Studio. “Back home is my comfort zone. I felt I was not being pushed too much. I needed to move out and reach my full potential in this sport. I wanted to be pushed more. That is what made me decide to come out of the Philippines—to improve and learn.”

Minsang nagkaroon ng matinding injury sa tuhod si Adiwang dulot ng ACL injury noong Marso 2022 matapos matalo ito sa laban sa kapwa Pinoy fighter na si Jeremy Miado. Nakatakda na sanang magbalik laban ito nitong Enero, subalit muling napuwersang umatras dahil pa rin sa injury.