Demetrious Johnson looks back on ‘amazing’ rivalry with Adriano Moraes: “Nothing but love and respect”

Throughout his legendary career, Demetrious Johnson has had his fair share of great rivals. Arguably, none pushed him as far as former ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes.

Having handed ‘Mighty Mouse’ his first-ever knockout loss in their initial meeting at ONE on TNT 1, the two men went on a collision course that saw them fight once a year over a three-year period.

Resolving the rivalry at ONE Fight Night 10 in May by securing a dominant decision win against Moraes to defend the title, Johnson has only ever had great things to say about his Brazilian counterpart. The champ even suggested ahead of their trilogy fight that it could be the last time fans get to see him compete in MMA, giving his career an iconic send-off whilst still at the top of his game.

Whilst their contests may have produced some of the most high-level and high-stakes affairs that the circle has ever hosted, their rivalry was born out of competition and not bad blood.

In a recent YouTube video posted on his Mighty Gaming channel, Demetrious Johnson gave his reactions to a video titled, opponents before and after fighting DJ. During the video, he paid respect to Adriano Moraes for the contests they had inside the circle that will define both men’s legendary runs in ONE Championship:

“It's absolutely amazing. I love sharing the cage with Adriano. Nothing but love and respect for Adriano.”

Watch Demetrious Johnson's full video below: