Danny Kingad. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — At just a young age of 24, Danny Kingad has already faced the best the ONE Championship flyweight division has to offer.
He now plans to bank on that vast experience inside the cage when he takes on Xie Wei at ONE: Fire & Fury at Mall of Asia Arena later this month.
Kingad is coming off a unanimous decision loss to Demetrious Johnson in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship Final last October.
Despite the loss, not many athletes his age can say they went three rounds with the legend.
He also went toe-to-toe with reigning ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes early in his career and owns wins over quality opponents in Senzo Ikeda, Yuya Wakamatsu, Reece McLaren, and Tatsumitsu Wada.
Having seen it all in The Home Of Martial Arts, Kingad is confident he can overcome his Chinese foe who will be making his main roster debut.
“I am very thankful because I’ve faced the best flyweights here in ONE Championship. It is definitely a big part in my growth as an athlete. I’ve faced (Adriano) Moraes, who is good on the ground, (Yuya) Wakamatsu, who is a power puncher, and Demetrious Johnson, who is super athletic and is good in all areas of the game,” Kingad said.
“I’ve learned a lot from those matches and it’s going to be a big help for my preparation for Xie. I have a lot of respect for Xie, but I believe my skills and experience will bring me the victory.”
Xie turned heads when he came out unscathed in Rich Franklin’s ONE Warrior Series (OWS) last year, and that is why Kingad does not take this match lightly.
“I saw his previous bouts and he was really impressive. It’s not easy winning five straight. He’s got the power and the skills, and he definitely deserves his spot in the big league,” he said.
Nonetheless, Kingad plans to take care of business in his Manila return as he has his eyes set on moving back up the flyweight ladder.
“I have a mission to accomplish this year, and I am ready to take on whichever test they give me, especially in my first assignment back against Xie,” Kingad said.
“I’ll show how eager I am to get back to title contention.”