Adriano Moraes' top 3 wins in ONE Championship

Adriano Moraes is one of the most decorated world champions in ONE Championship history with multiple world title reigns spanning several years.

‘Mikinho’ practically defined the flyweight division in ONE Championship with rivalries against some of the promotion’s most important names. While he’s beaten every man to have ever held the ONE flyweight world title, three victories have perfectly encapsulated Moraes’ career.

He may even bolster his legacy further when he takes on Demetrious Johnson in their trilogy bout at ONE Fight Night 10 on Prime Video on May 5, which will be broadcast live to Amazon subscribers in North America.

While he’s walking into 1stBank Center as the challenger, it can never be argued just how valuable Moraes is in shaping the organization itself.

Before he heads into the biggest match of his career, let’s look back at the three victories that made Moraes a legend in ONE Championship.

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#3 Kairat Akhmetov II (ONE: Kings and Conquerors)

Adriano Moraes might just have the most intriguing career in ONE Championship. Of all the fighters who’ve held gold in the promotion, no one’s had to face three opponents multiple times over.

The Brazilian star, counting on his impending third bout with Johnson, has a couple of world title trilogies and two world championship fights against a single opponent.

Moraes got into his first world title rematch when he faced Kairat Akhmetov for the undisputed ONE flyweight world championship at ONE: Kings and Conquerors in August 2017.

Akhmetov initially beat Moraes for flyweight gold in November 2015 and it took ‘Mikinho’ two straight wins, including one for the interim world title against Tilek Batyrov, to set up his rematch against the Kazakh fighter.

Still reeling from a disappointing split decision loss in their first meeting, Moraes threw everything at Akhmetov and showed a creative albeit wild style that summed up his younger days in the promotion.

Moraes was constantly on the offensive for the entire five rounds, and that forward pressure ultimately earned ‘Mikinho’ the nod from all three judges as well as the undisputed ONE flyweight world title.

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#2 Geje Eustaquio III (ONE: Hero’s Ascent)

Before Moraes gets into the Circle for his trilogy bout against Johnson, there was another man who got to match up against him three times in 2010s.

Moraes and Geje Eustaquio brought intense drama to the flyweight division during the decade, with the pair facing off for the first time at ONE: Rise of the Kingdom in September 2014 for the chance to become the inaugural ONE flyweight world champion.

Since that fateful meeting in Phnom Penh, the two flyweight greats have established a 1-1 stalemate and their rivalry needed a definitive end to put the series to bed.

To make matters worse, the third fight between Moraes and Eustaquio in 2019 took place in the Filipino fighter’s home nation.

Nevertheless, Moraes marched to Manila ready to break the collective heart of a nation wanting to see its hero successfully defend the ONE flyweight world title.

Moraes was clinical on the ground and he continually looked to send the match to the mat, which ultimately negated Eustaquio’s wushu striking. The multiple-time BJJ world champion then showed why grappling skills when he nearly ripped off Eustaquio’s left knee from its socket near the end of the fourth round.

Though Eustaquio survived the gruesome submission attempt, it was clear that Moraes had done more than enough to secure an unanimous victory and reclaim the ONE flyweight world title.

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#1 Demetrious Johnson I (ONE on TNT I)

Demetrious Johnson is undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters to ever do it, but Adriano Moraes was having none of that.

The two first locked horns at ONE on TNT I with Johnson challenging Moraes for flyweight gold in April 2021.

The match itself presented possibly the career-defining moment for Moraes, successfully defending his world title against the man regarded as one of the greatest of all time.

The fight’s magnitude certainly brought a different feel, but Moraes was more than ready to capture the moment.

Moraes, who was a full five inches taller than the 5-foot-3 Johnson, was crafty in his approach throughout the fight and would resort to using the Circle to evade the American legend’s offense.

Nearly halfway through the second round, Moraes suddenly sprang into action and tagged the approaching Johnson with a short right uppercut that quickly staggered ‘Mighty Mouse’.

As Johnson tried to get back up to his feet, Moraes sent him back down with a vicious knee strike that ended the match in the most spectacular of fashion.

The knee strike reverberated across the mixed martial arts world and it further solidified Moraes’ reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters on the planet.