Adriano Moraes’ case as the most dominant world champion in ONE Championship
![Adriano Moraes [Photo Credit: ONE Championship]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/08/ac41c-16600468565865-1920.jpg?w=500)
Adriano Moraes will defend his ONE flyweight world championship against pound-for-pound great Demetrious Johnson when ONE Championship debuts on Amazon Prime Video on August 26th.
After a spectacular second-round knockout of ‘Mighty Mouse’ in their first meeting at ONE on TNT 1, ‘Mikinho’ has every intention of repeating the result at ONE on Prime Video 1, cementing his status as the most dominant world champion in ONE.
Before the highly anticipated rematch, the promotion took a look back at Moraes' iconic career in a highlight reel on the ONE Championship YouTube channel:
“We take a special look back at undisputed ONE flyweight king Adriano Moraes' reign of dominance in ONE Championship before he puts his gold on the line again in a titanic rematch with MMA great Demetrious Johnson at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26!”
Being the first man to knock out Demetrious Johnson in his combat sports career, Adriano Moraes can easily be argued as the most dominant champion in ONE. Should he repeat that result on August 26th, there will be no debate.
Holder of the flyweight world title on three separate occasions, ‘Mikinho’ has defeated some of the best to compete in the Circle, including two wins over former world champions Geje Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov, a successful defense against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X, and the historic one over the aforementioned flyweight great Demetrious Johnson.
How does Adriano Moraes stack up against other reigning world champions?
When comparing Adriano Moraes to other MMA world champions under ONE Championship, ‘Mikinho’ certainly stands out as one of the most dominant to ever grace the Circle. Closing in on 10 years with the organization, Moraes has secured 11 victories and three separate flyweight title reigns, making his run in ONE legendary before it’s even through.
Sure, Moraes has been on the losing end on three separate occasions, but in each instance, ‘Mikinho’ lost via split decision. Of the 11 victories, only three have come by way of decision, all of which were unanimous. His other seven victories contained seven spectacular submissions and one of the most significant knockouts in MMA history.
One could look at other champions on the roster such as Reinier de Ridder, the two-division world titleholder with an undefeated record and make an argument, but multiple factors make Moraes stand out among the rest. With a near 10-year tenure closing in, his strength of schedule, facing some of the toughest competition in the world and his finish rate of 73% being higher than ‘The Dutch Knight’s makes him the strongest contender.
Whether or not you personally believe Adriano Moraes is the promotion’s most dominant world champion, nobody can deny that he is one of the greatest fighters in ONE Championship history and his legacy will last a lifetime.