"It changed my life completely" - Adriano Moraes recalls his career-defining knockout win over Demetrious Johnson
Adriano Moraes will eternally be grateful to Demetrious Johnson since their rivalry took his career to unprecedented heights. 'Mikinho' has consistently been one of the best 135-pound fighters on the planet, evidenced by his dominant run as a multi-time flyweight MMA titleholder in the world's largest martial arts organization.
However, Moraes' stock certainly skyrocketed in the MMA realm when he became the first and only fighter to knock out the legendary Demetrious Johnson in their first meeting in 2021.
The Brazilian shocked the world when he caught 'Mighty Mouse' with a clean knee to the head, putting him out cold at ONE on TNT 1.
Appearing on the Party Starter Radio's YouTube channel, Moraes reminisced about that epic knee heard around the world and how it made him into a superstar overnight:
"It changed my life completely, because with that knockout, I got to draw my new contract with ONE Championship, and that was a life changer."
Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson's careers will indeed be intertwined after the epic trilogy they had in the home of martial arts.
While the American Top Team product dropped his next two outings against the now-retired Johnson, he will forever cherish the honor of sharing the Circle with arguably one of the greatest to ever do it.
Watch Adriano Moraes' interview in its entirety:
Danny Kingad grateful for another chance to battle Adriano Moraes
Adriano Moraes has beaten the who's who of the stacked flyweight MMA division, including third-ranked contender Danny Kingad.
'The King' will get a shot at redemption and perhaps move closer to the belt Johnson vacated at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.
In an earlier interview with The MMA Superfan, the Filipino warrior thanked ONE for giving him an opportunity to settle the score with his Brazilian tormentor:
"I was really surprised when they offered me Adriano. I’m happy that they gave me a chance to bounce back and now I’m just enjoying my training. I’m really happy because this is an early birthday gift for me."