Adriano Moraes looking for ways to overcome 'difficult' body type of Demetrious Johnson
One of the many things that make Demetrious Johnson such a difficult matchup for Adriano Moraes he’s paired up against is his elusiveness, both on the feet and especially on the ground.
‘Mighty Mouse’ has proven very hard to submit over the course of his over-a-decade-long career. But why? Perhaps his recent opponent, former flyweight king Adriano Moraes, could shed some light on the matter.
According to the dynamic Brazilian star, it’s Johnson’s small frame that makes him very slippery on the mats.
In a recent interview with the South China Morning Post, Adriano Moraes talked about Johnson’s grappling skills and how it has proven difficult to control him in that department.
‘Mikinho’ said:
“Demetrious Johnson is a really great grappler also. He’s improved a lot in his jiu-jitsu. It’s really hard to move against his body type also when I put him on his back on the floor. I’m working on it, and I think in our trilogy, I’m going to do much better.”
‘Mikinho’ Adriano Moraes will face ONE flyweight world champion ‘Mighty Mouse’ Demetrious Johnson for the third and perhaps the final time in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10.
The event, which will be broadcast live on May 5, from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, will mark ONE Championship’s historic debut on American soil. Fans in the United States can finally experience firsthand what a live ONE Championship event is like, while those at home can catch all the action live and free on Prime Video.
Adriano Moraes will bank on his jiu-jitsu skills in Demetrious Johnson trilogy epic
Despite Demetrious Johnson being a very tough nut to crack on the mats, Adriano Moraes knows he will have to lean heavily on his BJJ black belt pedigree to get the job done.
With their first two encounters ending in spectacular flying knee knockouts, it could be in Moraes’ best interests to attempt to take this fight to the ground at every opportunity. There, he will have the perceivable advantage.
In the same interview with the SCMP MMA, Adriano Moraes talked about having success against Johnson whenever the action hit the canvas.
The 33-year-old American Top Team memeber in South Florida said:
“Yes, of course. In both fights I put my jiu-jitsu to work, and I did well. You can check it out in my second fight, I was doing good in my jiu-jitsu. I finished the first round on the mount. The second round, I was passing the guard already and ready to go to the submission.”
This next fight will likely be the final meeting between Moraes and Johnson, which makes it the most important. Deadlocked at 1-1 in their rivalry, the third fight will not only determine the true king of ONE Championship’s flyweight division but also perhaps crown the consensus best flyweight fighter in the world right now, in any organization.