Demetrious Johnson Triumphant In Epic ONE Flyweight World Title Trilogy With Adriano Moraes
Demetrious Johnson showed why he’s the MMA GOAT in the main event of ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video.
The ONE Flyweight World Champion diffused every threat from former divisional king Adriano Moraes and successfully defended his title in their trilogy showdown at the sold-out 1stBank Center in Colorado on Friday, May 5.
After closing out their rematch with a piercing knee to claim 26 pounds of gold last year, “Mighty Mouse” started more patiently this time. However, he found plenty of success in the clinch. Moraes adjusted well, though, securing overhooks to get the upper hand from close quarters.
Round two saw both flyweight superstars eager to make a statement with strikes. While Johnson landed a pair of shots on the Brazilian’s body, a looping left hook momentarily rocked the 13-time MMA World Champion.
Still, the AMC Pankration and Evolve MMA athlete decided the best path to victory was to get “Mikinho” within reach. So, in rounds two and three, the 36-year-old advanced behind his jabs to get into the clinch. With his foe’s back on the fence, Johnson cracked him with knees and a piercing elbow.
The American MMA icon pressed forward with more strikes at the start of round four, ensuring that he had his rival where he wanted him. From there, the flyweight king landed shoulder strikes on Moraes. And while the latter adjusted, the Brazilian absorbed more knees and elbows.
In round five, “Mighty Mouse” attacked once more, but Moraes had his fair share of action when he narrowly missed with a spinning kick and knee to the chin.
With nothing significant coming from the #1-ranked contender, Johnson closed the gap and dominated Moraes from the clinch. He used elbows, shoulders, and knees to see off the five-round affair.
After an intense 25 minutes, Johnson earned a unanimous decision win to retain his ONE Flyweight World Title.
With the victory, “Mighty Mouse” pushed his record to 25-4 and, if he doesn’t retire, may find himself defending his belt against #2-ranked contender Kairat “The Kazakh” Akhmetov, who defeated #4-ranked Reece “Lightning” McLaren earlier in the night.
Source: ONE Championship
