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Representing Team Lakay in Baguio City, Philippines, Danny “The King” Kingad, 23, is confident and ready to win at “ONE: A New Era” on March 31, 2019 at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Japan. He is set to face Senzo Ikeda, 36, of Japan in a ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix quarter-final bout.

Kingad was originally set to face Andrew Leone, 29, of the United States at “ONE: A New Era.” The American contender was pulled out of the card and replaced by Ikeda.

What sets Kingad apart from the competition is not his physical attributes. He points to his powerful mind as his biggest asset and he fully believes he has what it takes to eventually claim the World Title when all is said and done.

“I will win this bout not because I am better but because I am spiritually and mentally stronger than my opponent,” Kingad declared. “I have trained for years to build the self-discipline and skills I need to become a champion. You can expect an exciting match.”

Kingad and his team are wrapping up preparations for what will be the biggest bout of his young career so far. Early this week, he makes his way to Japan  to acclimate himself to his surroundings and ready himself mentally for the mission at hand.

Earlier this year, two ONE Championship champions from Team Lakay lost due to decisions that sparked debates among mixed martial arts experts, fighters and fans. Kingad wants to avoid such.

“This time, it’s not going to the hands of the judges,” Kingad said. “I’m not just going to wait for an opportunity to close the show. I’m going to make one.”

According to Kingad, his mentor, Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao reminded him to never let it go to the scorecards. The young ONE Championship flyweight fighter said, “I am going to be aggressive and I’m going to look to stop my opponent early.”

If Kingad defeats Ikeda, the Team Lakay fighter will advance to the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix semi-finals. He will face the winner between Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov, 30, of Kazakhstan and Reece “Lightning” McLaren, 27, of Australia.

“ONE: A New Era” is ONE Championship’s first ever event in Japan. It will provide the biggest and brightest stage yet for Kingad to prove his credentials.

Meanwhile, here is Kingad in a ONE Championship press conference earlier this year: