Adriano Moraes promises repeat victory against Danny Kingad at ONE 169: “Very focused”

Former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion Adriano Moraes’ submission skills are an essential part of his arsenal. And he plans to utilize them against an old foe in #3-ranked contender Danny Kingad this week. 

The pair lock horns at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, which airs on this Friday, November 8, from Bangkok, Thailand’s Lumpinee Stadium. And the winner could find themselves next in line for a shot at the vacant flyweight MMA crown. 

They last crossed paths in 2017 at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD. On that occasion, Moraes submitted his Filipino adversary in the first round with a rear-naked choke.  

Ahead of the rematch, Moraes is convinced Kingad will be focused on improving his grappling abilities. But the Brazilian superstar remains unconvinced that it’ll stop him from being submitted once more.  

“I’m sure he’s been working on his ground game a lot. But I believe that the ground game is his weak point, and the strongest part of my game is jiu-jitsu, without a doubt,” Moraes said. 

“I’m going into this fight very conscious and very focused that I’m going to submit him again. I’m going to get him.” 

Looking back at Adriano Moraes versus Danny Kingad I

It’s been a long time since former ONE flyweight MMA king Adriano Moraes and Danny Kingad met one another. 

The stage was ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in 2017. Moraes was in the prime of his life as the king of the division. While Kingad was still a rising star with plenty to learn, looking to upset the applecart. 

Up until then, at 22 years old, the Filipino amassed a three-fight winning streak in ONE. That earned him the shot at Moraes. But his luck would soon run out.

Once the bell rang, Moraes sensed Kingad’s hunger as he darted across the Circle. Just over two minutes in, the Brazilian king put the young Filipino on his back before securing a rear-naked choke only a minute later. 

Seven years have passed since then. Moraes has gone on to have legendary battles with MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson, while Kingad has firmly established himself in the upper echelon.  

Moraes would love nothing more than to earn another crack at the throne. But for Kingad, ONE 169 provides both a shot at redemption and the biggest scalp of his career.