Danny Kingad Determined To Thrust Himself To Top Flyweight Contender Status

The flyweight division in ONE Championship has provided a ton of excitement for mixed martial arts fans around the world, and Filipino star Danny Kingad is hoping to be a part of the festivities soon enough.

"The King" had recently spoken with International Business Times sports editor and combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano to give some perspective on his return at ONE Fight Night 7 on February 25 (February 24 in the United States).

Kingad had admitted that ring rust is something that he was concerned about, but his desire of getting a title shot still weighs heavily on his mind and it all begins with a successful outing against Eko Roni Saputra of Indonesia.

"That's my goal this year. I really want to get back in the winning column because I'm coming from a loss and I want to go on a winning streak and possibly even fight for the title, just in case [I get offered]," Kingad told Icasiano.

Since joining ONE Championship in 2016, 2019 was a pivotal year in Kingad's rise within the flyweight division as he logged four fights that year.

He started that year with a unanimous decision win over Tatsumitsu Wada in January of that year to qualify in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix and quickly followed it up with impressive wins over Senzo Ikeda and Reece McLaren in the eight-man competition to secure a spot in the tourney finals versus Demetrious Johnson.

In the biggest fight of his career, Kingad was unsuccessful in his attempt to beat "Mighty Mouse," but for him, a rematch with the current and reigning flyweight king is everything he can hope for.

While many would think Kingad is punching above his weight, the Team Lakay standout is confident that he can give Johnson a much better fight in a potential second encounter.

"It's not that I completely know what Demetrious is planning to do during our possible rematch, but I would really want to step in the cage with him again to see how far our skills have grown since we last met. I do believe that I might have his number this time around though," a jovial Kingad said.

"He's the lock and I'm the key," Kingad jokingly added.

Still just 27 years old, Kingad can surely aspire to replicate his 2019 run of fights, but it all begins with a convincing win against Saputra in February.

His last fight saw him fall to Kairat Akhmetov at ONE: Winter Warriors 2 in December 2021 and was even slated to face Gurdarshan Mangat at ONE 164 on December 3, 2022, but the fight fell through when Mangat pulled out due to an injury.

Despite a nearly 14-month layoff under his belt, Kingad remains unfazed because of the motivations that are fueling him.

"I'm drawing my motivation from my family, firstly, and also from my superiors [within Team Lakay]. They weren't able to get the ideal outcome in their respective matches recently. I'm really motivated to train harder so I can avoid their fates. I want to be the one who jumpstarts our return to getting wins," Kingad declared.

Currently ranked No. 3 in the division's Top Five, Kingad is only behind Kairat Akhmetov and Adriano Moraes in his pursuit of a flyweight title challenge.

Icasiano was quick to ask Kingad about who he prefers to fight and while the Baguio City, Philippines native admitted that he sees a Johnson rematch as his "priority fight," he is ready to face "any one of them, to be honest."

Racking up dominant wins is exactly how Kingad made his name in the weight class thanks to his wrestling.

While it remains to be seen whether he gets a title shot later in the year, his first step to it is by becoming the undisputed No. 1 contender.