ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes could have a shot at being named the greatest flyweight of all time if he beats Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson one more time.
That’s exactly what Moraes will look to do when he defends his strap against Johnson once again in the main event of ONE Fight Night 1 on the morning of Saturday, August 27, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Brazilian has talked about continuing to build his legacy, and when asked at the event’s press conference if he can become the greatest flyweight with another win over Johnson, he answered in the affirmative.
“I can be the GOAT (greatest of all time). Yes, I can be,” Moraes said.
It’s a bold statement but not farfetched.
Before coming to ONE Championship, Johnson had never been finished, as all of his losses had come from decisions.
That all changed when he met Moraes. The Brazilian did the unthinkable. He stopped “Mighty Mouse” with a knee in the second round of their clash last April.
ONE Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong agreed with Moraes, though he reminded everyone that beating Johnson twice in a row will be tough.
“For sure, if Adriano beats DJ again, which is a super tall order, I think you can consider him the flyweight GOAT,” Sityodtong said.
“No man has ever stopped DJ. Arguably, DJ has never lost in his prior organizations. I thought DJ defeated Henry [Cejudo], but it is what it is. But for DJ to get finished here, I don’t think anyone was expecting it.
“I thought people were expecting DJ to come in here and dominate, but he got the toughest fights of his career here. If you look at the Grand Prix, he almost got finished a couple of times,” he continued. “So, if Adriano wins, I think he can be the GOAT.”
ONE Fight Night 1: Moraes vs. Johnson II will air live on One Sports and One Sports+ starting with the lead card at 8 a.m.
Philippine Standard Time (PHT) on Saturday, August 27. The main card will follow on One Sports and One Sports+ at 10a.m. PHT.