5 Things You Might Not Know about Danny Kingad

Danny Kingad long ago established himself as one of the young pillars of the One Championship organization. The jury remains out on whether or not he can take the next step in his development.

The 26-year-old Filipino standout will lock horns with Kairat Akhmetov—their pairing has been billed as a flyweight title eliminator—in the One Championship “Winter Warriors 2” headliner on Friday at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. Kingad has won seven of his past eight bouts. He last fought at One Championship “Fire and Fury,” where he laid claim to a three-round unanimous decision over Wei Xie on Jan. 31, 2020.

As Kingad prepares to tackle his first assignment in nearly two years, here are five things you might not know about him:

1. He was a quick study.

Kingad made his professional debut at the age of 19 on Nov. 20, 2014, when he took a unanimous decision from Reymond Doliguez at a Rock ’N Rumble event in the Philippines. He fought five times before he turned 21, as he compiled a perfect 5-0 record and established himself as one of the top prospects in Asia.

2. An iron-sharpens-iron inner circle completes his ensemble.

“The King” operates out of Team Lakay, where he has honed his skills alongside a number of accomplished fighters, including incumbent One Championship strawweight titleholder Joshua Pacio, two-time One Championship lightweight titleholder Eduard Folayang, former One Championship bantamweight titleholder Kevin Belingon and onetime One Championship flyweight titleholder Geje Eustaquio. It has become a training hub for Filipino mixed martial artists, offering untold benefits to competitors like Kingad.

3. He curries favor with judges.

Twelve of Kingad’s 16 pro bouts (75%) have gone the distance. He owns a stellar 11-1 record in those appearances. The lone outlier? A unanimous decision defeat to former Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson at One Championship “Century: Part 1” on Oct. 12, 2019.

4. Frequent-flyer miles have begun to pile up.

Though he has spent much of his career plying his trade in his native Philippines, Kingad has become something of a globetrotter of late. He has fought in four different countries—Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Japan—across his past eight appearances.

5. His resume remains clear of questionable blemishes.

Kingad’s only two defeats have come to current or former champions. In addition to his aforementioned loss to Johnson, he submitted to a rear-naked choke from Moraes in a failed bid to capture the flyweight crown at One Championship “Legends of the World” on Nov. 10, 2017.