ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano Moraes. (ONE Championship)
A
driano Moraes has repeatedly proven he is one of the best flyweights in the world and he is ready to exhibit his skills yet again in a rematch with Demetrious Johnson at ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II, on Aug. 2 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The ONE Flyweight World Champion will defend his throne for a second time against the mixed martial arts GOAT after earning a remarkable knockout victory against him in their first meeting.
"Mikinho" has put on some incredible shows during his tenure at ONE. He has held the divisional strap seven times and has a professional record of 20-3. Before his highly anticipated rematch with Johnson, we look at three of his best outings in the ONE Circle.
#1 A Crazy Knockout Against Demetrious Johnson
His victory over “Mighty Mouse” in April 2021 may be the Brazilian star's most significant.
"Mikinho” finished Johnson in the second round of their bout at “ONE on TNT I” with a devastating knee-to-head after dominating him for much of the proceeding.
The finish stunned the combat-sports world and still stands as the American veteran’s only knockout loss.
Defeating the MMA GOAT and a 12-time World Champion is a major accomplishment, made even more so by the fact that it came by knockout.
#2 Drowning Yuya Wakamatsu With A Submission
“Mikinho’s” most-recent outing in ONE saw him taking on Yuya “Little Piranha” Wakamatsu at ONE X in March.
Moraes implemented his seemingly infinite BJJ skills to submit the Japanese star and retain his flyweight World Title.
Wakamatsu originally tried to keep the action upright, but he then unwisely shot for a takedown. This brought him into the World Champion’s realm, and Moraes secured the submission victory via guillotine in round three.
#3 Finishing Danny Kingad Early
Moraes’ bout with Danny Kingad at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in November 2018 stands as one of his shortest to date.
The flyweight king continuously made life difficult for his opponent by catching and sweeping him, meaning Kingad was unable to do anything for much of the bout.
This gave Moraes ample opportunity to go to work, and he brought home the win in the opening round after sinking in a rear-naked choke.
Tickets for ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II on Aug. 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium are now available at onefc.com/tickets.
ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II will broadcast live on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV and MAXstream at 7 a.m. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) on Saturday. The main card will follow on NETVERSE, Vidio.com, Kaskus TV and MAXstream at 9 a.m. WIB. Also, NET TV will air a same-day delay at 10:30 p.m. WIB.
This article was published in collaboration with ONE Championship.
