“He has very fast hands” - Adriano Moraes extremely wary of Danny Kingad’s electrifying stand-up arsenal
First-ranked ONE flyweight MMA contender Adriano Moraes knows he can't afford to take his eye off the ball when it comes to striking exchanges with Danny Kingad.
After all, the Filipino Wushu specialist has a wide array of electrifying attacks in his standup arsenal. This Friday, Nov. 8, Moraes will look to move closer to the vacant 135-pound MMA throne by reasserting his mastery over 'The King' at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug'.
If he wants to leave Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium with the W in tow, 'Mikinho' must find a way to stifle Kingad's high-octane striking.
The former flyweight MMA world champion told ONE Championship:
“His strong point is undoubtedly his striking. He combines wushu with kickboxing very well. He has very fast hands, hits the body, and head, and also has fast kicks to the legs, body and head."
To be fair, Adriano Moraes had little trouble with Kingad's offense the first time they shared the circle back in 2017. The Brazilian held his own on the feet and imposed his superior grappling as soon as the fight hit the ground, resulting in an impressive first-round submission victory.
Adriano Moraes confident he can submit Danny Kingad for a second time
Danny Kingad has evolved into a more well-rounded fighter over the years and has shored up his grappling defense since losing to Adriano Moraes.
Still, 'Mikinho' believes that his Brazilian jiu-jitsu mastery is miles ahead of the Lions Nation MMA representative. As such, Moraes is confident that he'll once again get the tap as soon as he gets hold of Kingad.
The American Top Team affiliate told ONE:
“I’m sure he’s been working on his ground game a lot. But I believe that the ground game is his weak point, and the strongest part of my game is jiu-jitsu, without a doubt.”
ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' will air live in US primetime free of charge for Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.