“This is my chance” - Danny Kingad seeks to capitalize on Adriano Moraes’ inactivity, vows to push the action at ONE 169
Danny Kingad strongly believes that the dreaded ring rust will end up biting Adriano Moraes in the butt once they share the Circle again at ONE 169: Atlanta.
These two familiar foes will lock horns anew in a pivotal flyweight MMA showdown on November 8 in the promotion's first event at State Farm Arena.
Moraes, a multi-time flyweight MMA world champion, last fought at the historic ONE Fight Night 10 last year, where he fell short in his trilogy with MMA legend Demetrious Johnson.
While Kingad acknowledges that 'Mikinho' never stopped working the entire time, he knows there's still a vast difference when it comes to training and fighting in an actual match.
'The King' said in a recent interview on The MMA Superfan's YouTube channel:
"For me, I believe that lay-off is gonna affect him in a way. It’s been quite a while since he competed. But he’s a martial artist. He’s a former champion so I know his mindset."
That said, Danny Kingad sees this as an opportunity to get even, considering the Brazilian choked him out in their first encounter. He added:
"I know that he’s keeping busy, I know that he’s training jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, Muay Thai, and all. But I believe It’s gonna play a small factor in this game, so this is my chance."
Danny Kingad polishing his grappling to deal with Adriano Moraes' BJJ superiority
Danny Kingad has grown by leaps and bounds since his humbling loss to Moraes back in 2017.
The Lions Nation MMA affiliate admits he was completely outmatched that fateful night, which saw him tapping out to a rear-naked choke in the opening round.
Now, with a full understanding of what 'Mikinho' is capable of, Kingad vows not to be caught off guard this time around.
The Filipino warrior shared in the same interview:
"I’m just focused on my defense. We all know Adriano is a good grappler so that’s what I’m looking out for. The gameplan will definitely be focusing on defending that ground attack. I know he’ll try to take me to the ground and I’m preparing for it."
Tickets for ONE 169: Atlanta are available via Ticketmaster.
Watch Kingad's full interview: