“I want that fight so bad” - Reece McLaren hopes to clinch long-awaited match with Adriano Moraes for vacant flyweight belt
Reece McLaren plans to showcase at ONE Fight Night 26 why he deserves to fight Adriano Moraes for ONE gold.
At ONE 168, Demetrious Johnson made a special appearance and officially retired from mixed martial arts, vacating his flyweight MMA world title. Since then, former world champion Adriano Moraes submitted Danny Kingad to solidify his spot in the inevitable fight for the vacant flyweight MMA throne.
On Dec. 6, No. 4-ranked McLaren will fight interim strawweight MMA world champion Jarred Brooks in the flyweight division. Although it's unconfirmed by ONE, an impressive performance by either fighter could lead to a matchup against Moraes for Johnson's recently vacated strap.
During an interview with Sportskeeda, McLaren had this to say about his hopes of fighting Moraes after Brooks:
"Yes, absolutely. I want it, man, I'm telling you. I want that fight so bad. He told me he was going to call me out, and he was going to say my name. He didn’t say my name."
ONE Fight Night 26 will be headlined by Christian Lee defending his ONE lightweight MMA world title against Alibeg Rasulov. The Dec. 6 event, which goes down inside the iconic Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Jarred Brooks plans to take opportunity from Reece McLaren at ONE Fight Night 26
Reece McLaren envisions himself emerging victorious at ONE Fight Night 26 to separate himself as a flyweight MMA contender. The entertaining Aussie must be focused on the task at hand, as Jarred Brooks also looks to capitalize on the opportunity.
Brooks captured the interim strawweight MMA world title earlier this year, setting him up for a must-see trilogy bout against Joshua Pacio. Unfortunately, Pacio is recovering from a torn ACL, allowing Brooks to pursue two-sport supremacy.
Since his ONE debut in November 2021, Brooks has taken over the strawweight MMA division with his world-class grappling skills, leading to a 5-1 promotional record. The American superstar's lone defeat was in March when he accidentally spiked Pacio on his head, costing him his world title.
Meanwhile, McLaren enters ONE Fight Night 26 after defeating Hu Yong by a split decision in May.