MANILA, Philippines -- The odds may be stacked against Danny “The King” Kingad in his upcoming joust against Indonesia’s Eko Roni Saputra, but a former ONE lightweight champion fully believes that the Team Lakay standout has more than what it takes to walk out with his hand raised.

Kingad will face off against Saputra on the main card of ONE Fight Night 7: Lineker vs. Andrade II, which takes place at the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, this Saturday.

Saputra enters the three-round flyweight MMA encounter as the slight favorite to win, as the Indonesian has been the more active competitor between the two since making his promotional debut in 2019.

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The two-time Southeast Asian Games freestyle wrestling medalist has aced seven of his last eight outings under the ONE Championship banner, winning five by first-round submission and two via knockout.

Meanwhile, Kingad hasn’t seen action for 14 months. His last assignment ended in a unanimous decision defeat at the hands of former ONE flyweight champion Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov.

But in the eyes of former lightweight champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, the 27-year-old native of Sadanga, Mountain Province remains a formidable foe for anyone in his weight class due to his distinct qualities as a mixed martial artist.

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“There’s a great reason why Danny is still ranked in his division after the long layoff. He has fought the best of the best. His style is very unpredictable, in my opinion. It’s a mix of high-level striking and aggressive wrestling. He can also submit you on the ground if he wants to,” Folayang said.

“People often forget that Danny is not a one-dimensional fighter. In a fight, he’s tough to handle.”

For Folayang, Kingad’s explosive striking and battle-tested experience will be the key to overcoming the streaking Saputra at ONE Fight Night 7.

“I don’t think Eko Roni Saputra has fought someone who’s near the caliber of Danny, and I think Danny has the clear edge in terms of striking and experience in this matchup. It’s definitely a step up in competition for Saputra,” he said.

However, Folayang acknowledged the development of Saputra’s skill set through the years, which could give Kingad fits in the showdown.

“We can't just underestimate Saputra because his overall game as an athlete has matured. Based on his recent fights, he has grown so much. This reason alone makes it a great fight for Danny as he needs an opponent who will bring out the best in him,” he said.

For his prediction, the face of Philippine MMA foresees Kingad going the distance with Saputra to clinch a clear-cut unanimous decision victory.

“It’s a safe bet that this will end by unanimous decision in favor of Danny, but if it ends by stoppage, that’s great for him. We’ll take it. Either way, I am confident that Danny will come out victorious,” Folayang said.