“We were both the best flyweights” - Adriano Moraes says he always wanted to fight Demetrious Johnson even before iconic rivalry
Adriano Moraes always knew he was bound to cross paths with his archrival Demetrious Johnson even before their iconic rivalry took shape in ONE Championship.
The former ONE flyweight MMA world champion said his and Johnson's level of dominance happened at almost the same time, and it seemed inevitable to him and his team that he would one day ignite a rivalry with the American legend.
While Moraes dominated the flyweight MMA division in ONE Championship during the mid-2010s, Johnson was doing the same in the UFC during his tenure as the UFC flyweight world champion.
Adriano Moraes told Party Starter Radio in an interview:
"I was the record holder in ONE and DJ was in the UFC at the time. We were both the best flyweights at the time. My team and I, always argued with each other and told each other, 'Wouldn’t it be nice if you went to ONE Championship,' because we always wanted this fight."
That dream matchup ultimately became a reality when Johnson debuted at ONE Championship in 2019.
Moraes and Johnson would figure in an iconic trilogy over the ONE flyweight MMA world title that culminated at ONE Fight Night 10 in Denver in May 2023.
After splitting their first two matches, both of which ended in a knee strike knockout, Johnson finished the rivalry with a unanimous decision win to retain the ONE flyweight MMA world championship.
Moraes now looks to restart his march back to his old throne when he faces familiar foe Danny Kingad at ONE 169 on Nov. 8 at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
ONE 169 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Adriano Moraes clears his head, determined to bounce back from his loss to Demetrious Johnson
Adriano Moraes is determined to erase the bitter memory of his last matchup.
'Mikinho' had a chance to reclaim the ONE flyweight MMA world title from Demetrious Johnson, but his chance at gold got shattered when he lost via unanimous decision to the American legend in their third fight.
In the same interview with Party Starter Radio, Moraes said he's moved on from the defeat as he heads to another chapter in his storied career:
"It was a really close fight, but I was fighting against the hometown guy, one of the greatest of all time. I lost by unanimous decision, but I always stand up. I always keep my head up and I'm always waiting for my next opportunity."
Watch Adriano Moraes' interview below: