LADIES and gentlemen, mark your calendars and set your alarms because on the morning of February 8, a squadron of Filipino mixed martial artists will march into the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
At ONE Fight Night 28, four homegrown talents will try to hoist the Philippine flag aloft, with Carlo Bumina-ang and Jeremy Miado leading the charge early on. But make no mistake about it — the highest-stakes encounters belong to Jeremy Pacatiw and Lito Adiwang, two men on a collision course with destiny.
Pacatiw stands across the ring opposite Russia’s Ibragim Dauev in a pivotal bantamweight showdown, while Adiwang throws down with Japan’s Keito Yamakita in an equally important strawweight scrap. And if you think these are just any other fights, think again — contender spots are on the line.
Pacatiw isn’t just fighting to win—he’s fighting to keep his No. 5 ranking, a position he recently earned. Meanwhile, Adiwang is on the brink of breaking into the elite, needing to topple Yamakita and steal his No. 4 spot. Both Filipinos carry winning streaks into battle, but let’s be real — this is no walk in the park.
Dauev? A nightmare matchup. The Dagestani bruiser is riding an eight-bout winning streak and hasn’t tasted defeat since August 2019. He’s knocked people out, he’s tapped them out, and in his ONE Championship debut over a year ago, he outworked Fil-Kiwi veteran Mark Abelardo in a grueling war.
Yamakita? A relentless grappling machine. Since joining ONE in 2023, he’s gone 3-1, scoring massive upsets over former champions Alex Silva and Yosuke Saruta. Oh, and in case you forgot, he already has a Filipino scalp on his resume — Miado.
Stylistically, these are frightening matchups for Pacatiw and Adiwang. Dauev is as well-rounded as they come, seamlessly mixing dynamic striking with suffocating wrestling. On the other hand, Yamakita is a relentless mat grinder who thrives in areas that have troubled Adiwang before.
Which brings us to this harsh reality: Pacatiw and Adiwang cannot afford to lose. That’s not hyperbole — that’s a fact. A loss here sends them spiraling down the rankings, lost in the shuffle of an ever-changing divisional hierarchy.
Imagine this: Pacatiw falls to Dauev, and his ranking disappears before he even settles into it. Adiwang? He’s been clawing at the door for years, only for Yamakita to slam it shut in his face.
But if you think this is a one-sided affair, think again.
Pacatiw walks into this fight as the more battle-tested stalwart, having faced top-tier competition since his days in BRAVE Combat Federation. And let’s not ignore the fact that “The Juggernaut” is evolving — his last two victories have come by submission. That’s right, he’s adding new weapons to his arsenal.
And Adiwang? Well, let’s just say Yamakita has never faced a striker like him before. If “Thunder Kid” finds his range early and starts landing bombs in those first ten minutes — where he’s at his most lethal — it’s going to be a long, painful affair for the Japanese.
For so long, Pacatiw and Adiwang have been hailed as future world champions. This weekend, they have the chance to take one step closer to making that prophecy a reality.
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