Team Lakay fighter Danny Kingad. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—With a chance to leapfrog in the ONE flyweight rankings, Danny Kingad is not underestimating his next opponent.
Kingad will be taking on Indonesian fighter Eko Roni Saputra in ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II in Bangkok, Thailand next month.
“Eko has been impressive. He’s on a seven-fight winning streak. What I see from him, though, is that he always favors his ground game and wrestling. That’s where he’s at his best, and that’s what I’ve observed from his previous fights,” said the Team Lakay fighter.
Saputra is a fast-rising star in the division, already holding a 7-1-0 record.
But despite Saputra being a fresh face, Kingad assured that he is preparing hard for the fight.
“I’ve watched his every fight, and it’s the ground game that I have to worry about,” he said.
Kingad is currently the number-three ranked fighter in the flyweights with a 14-3-0 record. He was set for a homecoming bout in his own hometown when ONE went to Manila last December before his opponent, Gurdarshan Mangat, withdrew from the card.
“My training pretty much continued even after Mangat dropped out. I never stopped and I stayed in shape, so training and preparation is not an issue for me.”
Now, The King will have a chance to finally improve his footing for a title shot against champion Rodtang Jitmuangnon when he enters the octagon in February.
“My goal for 2023 is to get a good winning streak going,” he said.
“I’m coming off a loss, so I have to get back on the winning track, start a winning streak, and then become a World Champion before the year ends. That’s my goal this 2023.”
ONE Fight Night 7 will be headlined by a rematch between Fabricio Andrade and John Lineker for the vacated bantamweight title.