Filipino MMA star Danny Kingad is officially no longer a ONE Championship athlete after the promotion’s latest round of roster cuts.
“The King” had been competing under their banner since 2016, amassing a record of 11 wins and six losses over that time. He kickstarted his ONE tenure with a three-fight winning streak, which led to him being named the next challenger for the ONE flyweight MMA world championship held by Adriano Moraes ahead of ONE: Legends of the World in November 2017 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Roller-Coaster One Stint Ends in Goodbye
Unfortunately, Danny Kingad’s dreams of gold ended with a first-round submission.
Despite the outcome, a renewed competitive fire reignited within Kingad, and he went on a six-fight winning streak, including unforgettable wars with now-former ONE flyweight MMA king Yuya Wakamatsu in September 2018 and Australian standout Reece McLaren in August 2019.
The Lions Nation MMA product then stepped into the Circle for a once-in-a-lifetime matchup with ONE Championship Hall of Famer and bona fide MMA legend Demetrious Johnson in the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship Final at ONE: Century Part I in October 2019. Kingad gave it his all, but once again, his efforts were thwarted by a “Mighty Mouse” who had found new life after his UFC tenure.
Since that time, however, Kingad has struggled, going 2-4 in his next six appearances. Most recently, he suffered a first-round TKO defeat to Hu Yong this past February, extending his skid to three.
Danny Kingad One of Six Roster Cuts
Joining Danny Kingad in being shown the exit are South Korean knockout artist Kang Ji Won, Muay Thai fighters Ali Saldoev, Taylor McClatchie, and Eddie Abasolo, and, most notably, former ONE bantamweight MMA world champion John Lineker.
According to the Bangkok Post, Lineker’s release comes on the heels of his serving a one-year doping suspension following positive tests for banned substances.
