Alyse Anderson believes Demetrious Johnson now better prepared for size difference vs. Adriano Moraes
With the highly anticipated showdown between Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson at ONE on Prime Video 1, ONE Championship fighter Alyse Anderson recently offered a breakdown of the fight.
'Lil Savage' has a unique perspective on this matchup as she trains alongside Moraes at American Top Team. Moraes and Johnson met in 2021 with the Brazilian earning a knockout finish in this bout.
She explained that one of the advantages the Brazilian had was that Johnson was adjusting to the rules. In an interview with ONE, she said:
"The rule set. He got caught with that knee which was like a grounded knee. You know, you really do have to train for that. And it was kind of like, Adriano capitalized on it when he saw it, and I think DJ thought he was going to stand up and just didn't see it coming."
In his entire storied and decorated career, Johnson never fought with grounded knees before signing with ONE. Anderson also added that size will not be a factor this time around as 'Mighty Mouse' will be better prepared. She continued:
"I mean, it was a great knockout, but he does have that size difference. And I think that did play a factor because he could bully him a little bit more. But maybe DJ now like has felt how big he is and he has trained for that, which hopefully makes for an exciting rematch."
'Mighty Mouse' will be better prepared for the rules and size when they fight for a second time later this week. The ONE flyweight world championship will be on the line again for this epic showdown.
Demetrious Johnson discusses Adriano Moraes' size
The size was certainly a factor in their first fight, according to Demetrious Johnson. The Brazilian had a size advantage in length and height. However, this time around, 'Mighty Mouse' admits he is preparing better for this.
While speaking to Combat Press, Demetrious Johnson said:
“It’s a brand new fight, right? You know, the feeling out process can be a little bit different. I think the biggest thing is Adriano is just much bigger, longer. So that’s the biggest problem, which is just crossing the distance.”
The MMA legend did not offer an official prediction for this matchup, although it sounds like he plans on bringing the action. He continued:
"I’m prepared. And I’ll go out there, fight my ass off, and see where it goes. You know, it can go from me winning by decision, it can go with me winning by submission ... Now, am I going to be the person that just goes and pushes the pace? Probably 100-percent likely. Or maybe he’s going to stand and bang, and I catch him, and we fight it out.”
Fans can watch this highly anticipated matchup at ONE on Prime Video 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II, which broadcasts live from the Singapore Indoor Stadium and airs in the US primetime via Amazon Prime Video on August 26.