Adriano Moraes draws confidence from being the first man to knock out Demetrious Johnson
At ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, Adriano Moraes is out for revenge.
The former flyweight world champion was defeated last time out by Demetrious Johnson to level their score at one apiece and claim the flyweight world championship.
Whilst their second fight was a modern classic, it can’t be forgotten how their trilogy of fights started out.
Fans will always remember Johnson’s flying knee finish over Moraes the second time around, but Adriano will always be the first man to knock the GOAT out.
In their first meeting in April 2021, Adriano Moraes shocked the world by finishing ‘Mighty Mouse’ via a grounded knee to the head, defending his flyweight world championship in the process.
While he now knows that Johnson also has the ability to put him away inside the distance, their first fight gives him confidence ahead of their third and final contest.
ONE Championship posted a clip of the Brazilian reflecting on the biggest win of his career on Instagram:
“Will Adriano Moraes shock the crowd once more at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video? 😳 His ONE Flyweight World Title trilogy match against reigning king Demetrious Johnson goes DOWN on May 5! 🏆 @moraesadrianomma”
Fans react to huge size difference between Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson
Alongside the highlight reel knees that have ended their two previous encounters, a huge part of the trilogy between Demetrious Johnson and Adriano Moraes has been the size difference.
Whilst Johnson has proven throughout his career that he can go toe-to-toe with any opponent when it comes to technique and fight IQ, his fights with Moraes put him at a clear size and power disadvantage.
Due to ONE Championship’s stance on weight cutting, Johnson competes at a higher weight class than he did in the UFC, meaning he is usually facing larger opponents.
Moraes has used his physical advantage to great success against ‘Mighty Mouse’. However, Johnson fought very smartly in their rematch, calculating each and every move to try and bypass this aspect.
In a recent Instagram post by ONE Championship, fans reacted to the clear size difference between the two elite competitors:
@rjmcdaddy:
"They look two weight classes apart"
@ryanboers:
"Sports books had him as the underdog too"
@carlos9860lopez:
"Bro (Johnson) knocked out a lightweight"
At ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, the fans inside the 1stBank Centre in Denver, Colorado and those watching at home will get to see the culmination of one of the greatest trilogies in combat sports history when Moraes and Johnson square off once again.
The entire event is live and free via Prime Video for North American viewers.