NAGING bagong kalaban ng Filipino prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad si Senzo Ikeda sa ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-finals matapos umatras ni Andrew Leone sa dahil sa injury.
Si Ikeda ay ang reigning Pancrase Flyweight World Champion na may professional record na 12-6-1.
Ang 36 anyos na beterano ay mayroong apat na sunod na panalo, kabilang ang laban sa ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix participant na si Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu.
“Senzo Ikeda is a talented competitor, and he has a lot of momentum behind him with four-straight wins, but I am confident in my capabilities and my skills,” aniya.
Maliban sa kanyang karanasan, ang istilo ni Ikedo ay maaring magbigay din ng problema kay Kingad.
Hindi pa natatalo si Ikeda at napanalo niya ang walong laban bilang isang pro. Ang kanyang background bilang isang boxer ay nagbigay sa kanya ng tsansa na makaharap si Kingad.
“Being among these talented flyweights is truly an honor, and I will not waste my chance to make a name for myself in ONE,” pahayag ni Ikeda.
“Being on this massive card in my home country of Japan motivates me to perform to the best of my abilities and advance into the next stage of the tournament.
“I have nothing but respect for Danny Kingad, but come event night, I will do everything that I can to get the victory.”