Adriano Moraes so far looks more than capable of carrying great expectations.
As Moraes moves toward his sequel with Johnson, a look at five of the moments that have come to define him to this point:
1. Golden Glory
Moraes marked himself as more than just a prospect when he put away the previously unbeaten Dinelo Lopes with a body kick in the third round of their Shoot Brazil 40 co-feature on June 23, 2013 in Manaus, Brazil. The decisive victory brought with it the vacant Shooto Brazil flyweight crown. Moraes traveled nearly 2,200 miles for the opportunity, and it did not go according to plan initially. Lopes fed off the electricity of his hometown crowd and built an early lead with a strong first round. It was not enough to keep his counterpart at bay. Moraes stuck to his guns and rebounded in Round 2, where he lured his fellow Brazilian to the mat, applied his ground-and-pound and zeroed in on perceived points of weakness. He then made his move in the third, as he connected with a brutal kick to the body that necessitated a stoppage and turned Moraes into one of the southern hemisphere’s most sought-after talents.
2. Human After All
Yusup Saadulaev succeeded where nine others before him had failed, as a steady diet of takedowns and mild ground-and-pound carried him to a split decision over the previously unbeaten Moraes in the One Fighting Championship 12 “Warrior Spirit” main event on Nov. 15, 2013 at the Putra Indoor Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Saadulaev delivered takedowns in the first and second rounds, attacking with strikes from the top once he secured a dominant position. Moraes scrambled out of danger on more than one occasion. The promising Brazilian did his best work late in Round 2 and into Round 3, where he maneuvered into top position and unleashed some ground-and-pound of his own. Alas, the effort was not enough for Moraes to avoid defeat for the first time. Saadulaev escaped full mount in the third round, settled in top position and nailed down the win. It remains the only unavenged setback on the Moraes resume.
3. A Rivalry Ignites
Moraes laid claim to the inaugural One Championship flyweight crown when he submitted Geje Eustaquio with a guillotine choke in the second round of their One “Rise of the Kingdom” headliner on Sept. 12, 2014 at Koh Pich Theatre in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The end came 3:54 into Round 2. After a mostly uneventful first round, the two men traded punches in the second. Moraes connected with the more impactful blows and stunned the Lakay MMA rep with a pair of right hands. Eustaquio escaped to his feet after being taken down, only to find himself in the clutches of a Moraes guillotine. The Filipino standout did what he could to extricate himself from the choke but ultimately raised the white flag of surrender. The encounter touched of a three-fight series between the two, with Moraes holding a 2-1 edge.
4. Unifying Presence
The American Top Team standout unified the One Championship flyweight title with a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Kairat Akhmetov in their One “Kings and Conquerors” rematch on Aug. 5, 2017 at Cotai Arena in Macau, China. “Black Diamond” had wound up on the wrong side of a split verdict against Akhmetov a little less than two years earlier but carved up the Kazakhstani grappler with crisp standup for the better part of 25 minutes in their second encounter. Moraes sealed the win with a late takedown, as he took another significant step forward and established himself as the premier flyweight in One Championship—a distinction he still holds today.
5. Legend Killer
Moraes retained the undisputed One Championship flyweight title with a career-defining performance when he wiped out the aforementioned Johnson with a perfectly timed knee strike in the second round of their One on TNT 1 main event on April 7, 2021 at Singapore Indoor Stadium in Kallang, Singapore. “Mighty Mouse” met his end 2:24 into Round 2, as the Madisonville, Kentucky, native was finished for the first time in 35 professional appearances. Moraes spent the first round proving he belonged in the same cage with an all-time great. The Brazilian made Johnson uncomfortable with evasive lateral movement, shrugged off a few takedowns in the second round and clipped the Matt Hume protégé with a right uppercut. The impact knocked the former Ultimate Fighting Championship titleholder off-balance and provided Moraes with the opening he needed. He swarmed with punches, then delivered the fight-ending knee to the dazed Johnson’s exposed face, prompting an immediate stoppage.