Three Possible Opponents For Danny Kingad After Impressive Comeback

Danny Kingad has long been among the most talented fighters on ONE Championship's talent-filled mixed martial arts roster.

His well-rounded skill set has helped him rack up a 15-3 professional record while securing the No. 3 spot in the ever-changing flyweight rankings.

Most recently, the 27-year-old Filipino proved that he still belongs among the division's elite despite coming off a 14-month layoff.

On the main card of ONE Fight Night 7 this past February, he single-handedly dominated Indonesian stalwart Eko Roni Saputra throughout three rounds to cruise to a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

At this point, Kingad is within shouting distance of a ONE Flyweight World Title shot.

While it remains to be seen whether he earns a crack at 26 pounds of gold later in the year, his first step to it is by becoming the undisputed top-ranked contender.

Here are three potential opponents that would offer enthralling matchups for the beloved Team Lakay member as he looks to thrust himself into the championship picture.

Hu Yong

Hu Yong has been a wanted man in Benguet since he authored a highlight-reel knockout at the expense of Geje Eustaquio—Kingad's stablemate—back in December.

All it took for the Chinese hard-hitter to shut the lights off on the former ONE Flyweight World Champion was one overhand right to the temple, wrapping things up with 17 seconds left in the first round.

The impressive win over Eustaquio has certainly raised Hu's stock, and it could lead him to a collision course with Kingad.

From a stylistic standpoint, this joust would undoubtedly put fans on the edge of their seats from beginning to end as the two absolutely love to throw leather.

What makes it more intriguing is that avenging Eustaquio could be on the agenda of Kingad when he gets the chance to share the same stage with Hu.

Tatsumitsu Wada

Tatsumitsu Wada is no stranger to Kingad as both men first crossed paths in January 2019, with the latter winning by way of unanimous decision to book his spot in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix.

Much has changed since the last time they stood across from each other in the Circle. Kingad has been a mainstay of the flyweight Top Five, whereas Wada is still looking to find his way to enter the rankings.

"The Sweeper" has won three of his last four outings, including a first-round submission against Filipino debutant Ernesto Montilla at the recently-concluded ONE Friday Fights 9 last March 17.

A rematch between Kingad and Wada makes the most sense to happen later this year, and it would be interesting to see which competitor dictates the action this time around.

Gurdarshan Mangat

Gurdarshan Mangat was initially booked to duke it out with Kingad at ONE 164 this past December, but the Indian-Canadian sensation pulled out of the bout due to an injury.

There is a great chance that both men can finally tangle to determine who moves up in the pecking order of a stacked weight class.

"Saint Lion" is 4-1 under the promotion's banner, and he was last seen in action when he eked out a split decision victory over Yodkaikaew Fairtex in June 2022.

This encounter would be a good test for the all-around skills of each mixed martial artist.

The usually-aggressive grappler in Mangat would have to navigate the contest in a different way versus Kingad, who uses his lethal striking approach to complement his no-frills wrestling techniques to subdue his opponents.