Adriano Moraes excited by Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida's developments in MMA

Former ONE flyweight champion Adriano Moraes is excited by how well his fellow Brazilian Marcus 'Buchecha' Almeida has fared since transitioning to MMA.

'Buchecha' has steamrolled opponents since signing with ONE Championship in 2021, tallying four consecutive opening-round stoppage victories.

Adriano Moraes was particularly impressed with Almeida's most recent performance, which saw him submit Kirill Grishenko with a heel hook. 'Mikinho' spoke to SCMP MMA about the heavyweight's developments, stating:

"He’s doing really great. He has four fights, four finishes. In his last fight, he fought against a real contender. He passed really easily. I think he’s getting better, he’s more confident. He’s ready to achieve big things in ONE Championship. I am one hundred percent with him and I believe in him."

'Buchecha' is seemingly on a fast track towards receiving a world title shot. Interim heavyweight champ Anatoly Malykhin and heavyweight titleholder Arjan Bhullar are scheduled to unify their belts at ONE Fight Night 8 in March.

---

Adriano Moraes says he doesn't feel added pressure after getting knocked out by Demetrious Johnson

Demetrious Johnson snatched the ONE flyweight world title from Adriano Moraes in their second meeting last August. Despite the defeat, Moraes doesn't feel any extra pressure heading into his trilogy bout with 'Mighty Mouse'.

In the same interview, he said:

“There’s no pressure. Of course, I’m going to fight against a guy who just knocked me out, so it’s different feelings. But I’ve been here before and I can’t wait to put on a show for everybody.”

The result marked the first time that Moraes had been finished in his career, as his last three defeats all came by way of split decision. The Brazilian managed to avenge his previous two losses, which is what he's trying to replicate in his next outing.

Make sure to tune in to ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5 to watch Adriano Moraes face flyweight champ Demetrious Johnson in the third leg of their trilogy.

The entire event from the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado, is live and free to watch for North American audiences with an active Prime subscription.

Check out Moraes' full interview with SCMP MMA below: