Lito Adiwang to undergo surgery for injury he suffered during Miado fight

Hard-hitting mixed martial arts strawweight Lito Adiwang will undergo surgery for an ACL tear injury he suffered during his fight against Jeremy Miado at ONE: X last month.

The Team Lakay star was winning the fight against his fellow Filipino at the Singapore Indoor Stadium until he suddenly crumpled in pain in round two from what was an apparent injury he suffered in his right knee. Miado won the fight via technical knockout as a result.

"This is totally unexpected. I was really hoping that it is not a bad injury but apparently it is. I need to accept and overcome. I really believe everything happens for a reason, and maybe the reason for this is I need to be hungrier," Adiwang told GMA News Online.

"Once I am done with the surgery I will push myself to get back to fighting again. I want to be a better and even more exciting Thunder Kid. I will do my best to recover quickly and be back as soon as possible. This is a minor setback, I have big dreams, and I would not let this stop me."

The loss also marked the first time that Adiwang suffered back-to-back losses in his professional MMA career as his record dropped to 13-5. Eager to get back to action as soon as he can, the Baguio City native asked for prayers while thanking ONE and his fans for their continued support.

"I want to thank ONE Championship for taking care of their athletes. We received their reply yesterday that they are going to handle the surgery. I am very thankful. To my fans and followers, I am still here. Keep the faith. The best we can do now is pray," Adiwang said.

—MGP, GMA News