By Jun Ray Navarres
Team Lakay phenom Lito Adiwang returns to ONE Circle against Mansur Malachiev in ONE Fight Night 6: Superbon vs. Allazov on 14 January at the Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Thunder Kid suffered an ACL tear in his all-Filipino clash with Jeremy Miado at ONE X last March.
After undergoing surgery for his torn ligament in May and taking six months to recover, Adiwang encountered another challenge in the passing of his father.
Yet, the Filipino rising star is taking all of the obstacle in front of him in a positive manner.
“With the trials in my career and life, I’ve tasted defeat in the game, injury, and losses in life. It’s painful and demoralizing. I did reach my breaking point, but [I know] that if I [succumb] to this emotional and painful feeling, this can be my downfall,” shared Adiwang.
“This time, I just need to hold my head up high. I need to collect and compose myself and hold on to my belief that God put me here for a reason, and that I still have a purpose to fulfill – to become a champion in my career.”
Adiwang is turning all of his focus in preparing for his comeback stage in order to make his parents ever proud of him – even if they won’t be able to witness it.
“With the help of martial arts, I know that I can put my pain and frustration into training, and it can ease my pain. I got something that I will put my mind and focus on. Also, I want to fulfill my promise to my father to fight in January,” added Adiwang.
“I am happy that I at least saw both of my parents happy in my career as a martial artist before they moved on to the next life, even if I did not finish the [university] degree just like they wanted. But I showed them that martial arts is where I belong, and I used it to change our lives for the better.”
Adiwang is fully focused on getting back on track in returning the coveted ONE Strawweight World Championship belt to the mountains of Baguio.
Follow the writer on Twitter: @burnsports
