Lito Adiwang believes he would fare well vs Demetrious Johnson

MANILA, Philippines – To be the best, you have to beat the best, and that is exactly what Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang wants to do in ONE Championship.  

Of course, becoming a world champion has always been the end goal for the fiery Adiwang, but he also wants the chance to challenge someone he looks up to.  

“I think everyone wants to fight Demetrious Johnson and that’s my dream,” Adiwang said. “That’s my dream match in ONE: the No. 1 pound-for-pound king.”

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson is considered by many as the greatest mixed martial arts athlete in history.  

The Madisonville, Kentucky native is an 11-time world champion, and he recently beat Adiwang’s teammate, Danny “The King” Kingad, to win the ONE Championship Flyweight World Grand Prix.  

Johnson has yet to lose in ONE, but Adiwang sees himself matching up well with “Mighty Mouse.” (READ: Lito Adiwang wants top opponents after highlight-reel finish) 

“My biggest advantage would be my mindset. I know he’s good at putting pressure on his opponents, especially the mental pressure because most of the people he faces are at a loss at what DJ can do,” Adiwang said. 

“What I’ll do is look at all the possible options on where he wants the match to take place and see what I can do from that position. From there I can study him more.” 

For the 27-year-old, the key is keeping the slick American on his toes, making him uncomfortable from start to end.

If that happens, “Thunder Kid” believes he has a shot at handing Johnson his first loss in The Home Of Martial Arts. (READ: Top 5 ONE Championship wushu athletes)

“I think the key is controlling the match. As long as I don’t let him dictate the match and I control where the fight goes, I’m in good shape. The moment he gets in a groove, you literally have no chance of winning against him,” Adiwang said.  

“I won’t let him impose his will. I would look for counters. I’ve been seeing scenarios where I can win if we fight and that’s my motivation – to keep winning and earn a match against DJ.” – Rappler.com