Handout photo.

MANILA -- Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang has heard all the criticisms about his tendencies to falter late if he fails to finish early, and he doesn’t mind because even he agrees with the sentiments.

Ahead of his strawweight MMA fight against Keito Yamakita at ONE Fight Night 28 on February 8 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, Adiwang is reassessing his ways. 

He believes there are a lot of things to work on if he wants to hurdle this dangerous Japanese wrestler.  

“Honestly, I agree with their criticism. I felt it. I saw it when I reviewed the fight. If they’re not satisfied, [neither am I],” Adiwang said.  

The fight in question was his win over Danial Williams. He charged forward strong against the Thai-Australian striker, coming close to multiple finishes in the first round. But he failed to complete the task.  

Instead of finishing Williams, it seems like he faltered late in the match, almost giving “Mini T” an opportunity to steal the win.

“I know that I could’ve performed a lot better given a lot more, and I felt like it could’ve been so different,” he said.  

Running out of gas in that fight is something that even his coaches at SOMA MMA weren’t expecting, especially with how well he prepared for the match.  

But they’ve found the cause, and it’s something Adiwang promises to improve on for this match.

“Even my coaches were wondering what happened. I was training really well. I think we pinpointed it to weight management, and that’s what I’m looking to really improve on now,” he said.  

“I have to make sure that I have enough left in my tank to show the same intensity that I’ve been showing in my training in my fights.”  

He needs to make sure that he comes in on top of his game, especially as he expects to be tested by the gritty Yamakita.  

“He’s truly a grinder. He has very beautiful wrestling and excellent pressure. On my part, I have to make sure that I get to hit him before he tries to control him,” he said.  

“So that’s what we’re working on right now. We have to make sure that we’re not just defending but also attacking him in that situation as well.”