Adriano Moraes is embracing the dad life and is learning lessons along the way.
"Mikinho" is set to return to action this Sunday, March 23, as he takes on hometown hero Yuya Wakamatsu for the vacant ONE flyweight MMA world title at ONE 172: Takeru vs. Rodtang.
The stacked card will take place inside the historic Saitama Super Arena in Japan, and will be broadcast worldwide on pay-per-view at watch.onefc.com.
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One of the fiercest and most successful champions in ONE Championship, Moraes opened a new chapter in his life when he welcomed his baby daughter to the world last year.
With another reason to fight, the Brazilian fighter went on to defeat a tough contender in Danny Kingad to secure his spot for a shot at the vacant belt. He proved that he is still as sharp as ever, but the arrival of his daughter also brought changes to his life.
Speaking to ONE Championship, he shared how his daughter has flipped his world in more ways than one.
"Everything has changed completely. We have been given a little life that we have to take care of, and it depends a lot on us. As I said, all my planning revolves around her life," he said.
"I often arrive late for training. Sometimes I have to change my training time and these are the things I adapt to. Sometimes I can't rest as much as I used to, and these are things that are sometimes a little complicated. But we adapt and everything is fine."
Adriano Moraes expecting an "evolved" Yuya Wakamatsu
Adriano Moraes has fought four people in his last eight matches since November 2017. Despite the familiarity though, he believes that Yuya Wakamatsu will still have something new in store for him when they meet for the second time.
"We fought in 2022, I was defending my title right after successfully defending it against DJ [Demetrious Johnson]. I managed to finish him with a guillotine. It was a great night for me. But I believe he has evolved a lot and that he will come well-prepared for this fight," he told ONE Championship.
Wakamatsu lost to South Korea's Woo Sung Hoon immediately after his loss to Moraes, but he has since rebounded with three straight wins to prove that he is still a legitimate threat to the world title.
The question now is, will Adriano Moraes continue to assert his dominance or will Yuya Wakamatsu avenge his loss and send fans home happy with a world title victory?