Lito “Thunder Kid” Adiwang is one of the few Filipinos who’s grown to love Muay Thai and kickboxing despite the two said sports taking a backseat to boxing and mixed martial arts.  

He understands why they’re not as popular in the Philippines, at least not yet, but he reiterates that it’s not because of the lack of talent – he believes it’s because of the lack of opportunities.  

“We’ve always had great Muay Thai fighters. From Mr. Reysaldo Biagtan to (Brent) Velasco, but they’ve had little exposure to the mainstream public. They really didn’t break into the mainstream,” he said.  

“One reason I think is the lack of local competitions for us. People just recognize our Muay Thai fighters and kickboxers if they compete internationally, and back then, it was difficult to get opportunities to compete outside the country unless you had a good connection or manager.” 

Adiwang, though, thinks the country is getting there given the continuous rise in popularity of Muay Thai and kickboxing through ONE Championship – a promotion that’s shined a spotlight on other combat sports aside from mixed martial arts.  

Right now, Rodtang Jitmuangnon and Superlek Kiatmoo9 are starting to become household names even with the more casual combat sports fan base in the country. And Adiwang credits it to the way ONE has promoted its ultra-talented roster.  

“Now it’s different. I’m happy that ONE opened the platform to introduce the beauty of Muay Thai and kickboxing to our fans. I’m seeing fans now who're saying they’ve truly enjoyed those sports. Especially when MMA matches get a bit too technical on ground battles and transitions, they get bored,” he said.  

“I think they’re appreciative now and I believe this is gonna continue. One day we’re gonna produce a superstar in that world mainly because ONE has opened its doors and they’ve done a great job of promoting it through social media.” 

With momentum now behind the striking arts in the country, Adiwang predicts that the upcoming ONE Friday Fights 81 card on September 27, which features the likes of Superbon, “Smokin” Jo Nattawut, and Takeru Segawa among others, will build interest in Muay Thai and kickboxing even more.  

“I can say local fans are more appreciative now [of] the sport,” he said. “Especially those who love to watch pure striking. This is going to be a very good show for them.”