Photo: ONE Championship
By Miguel Palaban
Lito Adiwang made a statement in his return to the ONE Championship ring, dispatching Indonesian wrestler Eko Roni Saputra in dominant fashion.
The pair squared off in a 140-pound catchweight MMA clash on the supporting card of ONE Fight Night 43 at the fabled Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Saturday, May 16.
“The Thunder Kid” needed just 34 seconds to finish Saputra, overwhelming him with a barrage of punches for the knockout victory.
The Baguio City native wasted little time asserting himself, opening with a sharp push kick before connecting with a crushing right hand that visibly rocked Saputra.
Sensing the opportunity, Adiwang unloaded with a flurry of punches, repeatedly landing clean shots to the head as his Indonesian counterpart struggled to regain his footing.
Although Saputra attempted to answer back, Adiwang maintained the pressure until referee Olivier Coste stepped in to stop the bout.
The victory marked Adiwang’s 10th career knockout win and improved his professional record to 18-6.
It also served as his second triumph competing above the strawweight division after spending the majority of his ONE tenure at 125 pounds.
During his post-fight interview, Adiwang expressed his desire to compete in an official flyweight contest next and called out divisional contender Hu Yong.
Saputra, meanwhile, fell to 7-6 and extended his losing skid to five fights.