MMA News: Team Lakay Head Coach Gives Important Update On Lito Adiwang's Injury

Mixed martial arts (MMA) fans have been eagerly waiting for an update regarding the injury of Team Lakay standout Lito Adiwang that he sustained at ONE X.

International Business Times sports editor and combat sports analyst Nissi Icasiano was able to speak with the camp’s mentor, Mark Sangiao, during a virtual press conference last week and Sangiao said that Adiwang would be having x-rays to check his knee and an MRI soon after.

Sangiao later sent an update to Icasiano that Adiwang has indeed had his x-rays and will be having an MRI alongside some check-ups, with the MRI results to be released sometime this week.

Adiwang twisted his right knee late into the second round against fellow Filipino Jeremy Miado, which saw him fall to the floor in pain.

As a result, Miad picked up the victory via technical knockout.

From Sangiao’s perspective, “The Thunder Kid” was on pace to win the fight if not for the injury.

“We had the advantage. His shots just were not connecting, but I also saw that some were hitting their mark which I think is why Miado’s straights and killer shots could not land cleanly. He could not set that one up because every time he would attempt the shot, Lito was ready to counter,” Sangiao told Icasiano.

“When we were debriefing after the fight, Lito said that he felt something was wrong with his knee when he shot for a takedown in the second round. When he moved backwards, that was when it got worse.”

Naturally, a rematch would be lingering in the mind of Adiwang and Team Lakay as the loss caused him to Miado taking his No. 5 spot in ONE’s strawweight rankings.

But for the team’s head coach, whoever the Singapore-based promotion decides to put in front of his students is completely okay for them.

“For us, we are never in the business of picking and choosing [our opponents]. Whoever ONE says we have to face, we are always ready for it. If that [Jeremy Miado rematch] is the fight that will be given to us, we will be ready,” Sangiao declared.

The loss puts Adiwang on a two-fight losing streak and while it would be interesting to see him get back at Miado sometime soon, a matchup with Japanese knockout artist Senzo Ikeda who is riding a three-fight winning streak of his own could also happen.

Despite the loss, Team Lakay was still able to have a strong outing of their own after Stephen Loman’s unanimous decision victory and team captain Eduard Folayang coming out on top in his ONE Super Series debut against the now-retired Muay Thai legend John Wayne Parr.

“We’re very, very happy with it. We celebrated our two victories there in Singapore. However, we still lost one though. But for us, that is still a major victory since all of our guys fought their best. Overall, we’re happy,” Sangiao said of his wards’ ONE X performances.