“The next one will be for the belt” - Adriano Moraes eager to prove vacant flyweight MMA throne is his at ONE 169
Adriano Moraes believes a win at ONE 169 will ensure he fights for the vacant flyweight MMA world title.
On September 6, MMA legend Demetrious Johnson appeared at ONE 168: Denver to announce his retirement from the sport. 'Mighty Mouse' vacated his flyweight strap in the process, starting a new chapter in the division.
ONE Championship hasn't announced who will fight for the vacant world title. With that said, most people expected the winner of Moraes vs. Danny Kingad 2, which goes down on Friday at ONE 169, to receive the opportunity.
Moraes and Kingad fought in November 2017. Kingad made a crucial mistake in the first round, leading to a first-round submission loss.
During an interview with ONE, former 8x flyweight MMA world champion Adriano Moraes had this to say about being confident his next fight would be for gold:
"There will be other fights between other contenders to see who will be able to fight for the belt. But I believe that if I win this fight, the next one will be for the belt.”
Three world title fights are scheduled for Friday's ONE 169, which takes place inside the legendary Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand. The November 8 event featuring Moraes vs. Kingad can be seen live and for free by North American viewers with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.
Who should Adriano Moraes or Danny Kingad face in vacant flyweight MMA title fight?
Although it's unconfirmed by ONE, the winner of Adriano Moraes vs. Danny Kingad is expected to be featured in the vacant flyweight MMA world title fight. Both contenders have been with the promotion for many years and deserve respect for helping to build the division's history.
Meanwhile, another flyweight contender to consider is number two-ranked Yuya Wakamatsu. The Japanese 29-year-old is coming off a second win against Kingad and now looks to continue building momentum against Gilbert Nakatani, a fight taking place on December 6 at ONE Fight Night 26.
Wakamatsu has also fought Moraes in the past, with the latter securing a third-round submission in their March 2022 meeting.
It should be noted that number four-ranked Reece McLaren could be a significant factor in the flyweight MMA title picture. McLaren is coming off a split-decision win against number five-ranked Hu Yong, which extended his promotional record to 10-6.