Adriano Moraes has high praise for Demetrious Johnson ahead of rematch; calls him a "living legend"

In a time when trash-talking your opponent to sell tickets is seemingly the norm, Adriano Moraes takes a different approach when talking about his opponents. A prime example of that is the ONE flyweight world champion’s comments on challenger Demetrious Johnson just days away from their eagerly anticipated rematch at ONE on Prime Video 1.

Speaking to ONE Championship, ‘Mikinho’ had nothing but praise for ‘Mighty Mouse’ as the two march towards their August 26 main event.

“Demetrious Johnson is a great athlete and a great example in and out of the cage. What he has already done and continues to do for MMA is something great. It's great to have him in ONE Championship because everything he's done in MMA is something that inspires us. I am very grateful that he is still active and giving us the opportunity to learn from him.”

Following his second-round knockout of Johnson at ONE on TNT 1 in April 2021, few could fault Adriano Moraes for stepping into their rematch with a cocky attitude, but that’s just not who Moraes is. The ONE flyweight champion is both humble and respectful, showing the world how a true champion should be. Moraes added:

"He's definitely one of the living legends of our sport.”

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Demetrious Johnson looks to cement his legacy with win over Adriano Moraes

Win or lose, Demetrious Johnson will undeniably go down as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters to ever compete in mixed martial arts. But for Johnson, capturing a ONE world title and avenging the lone knockout loss of his career could go a long way in cementing his legacy in the eyes of the fans.

“For me winning the title is just going to cement my, I guess you can say my legacy, but I like to let the community decide what my legacy is, right? Because everybody's like, 'Man, you're the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.' I don't think that, you know. I get beat up at the gym all the time from our coach.”

For Johnson, it’s about proving that he is good enough to defeat Moraes and adding another world championship to his already stellar resume.

“But for me, it [is] just going after a title, to try to win another title and add it to my collection.”