"I'm so happy" - Adriano Moraes excited for what the future holds for MMA in ONE

Top-ranked ONE flyweight MMA competitor Adriano Moraes wants to stay active throughout 2025 following his second-round submission victory of Danny Kingad at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. 'Reug Reug' this past Friday, Nov. 8. The event happened inside the legendary Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

Speaking with the Bangkok Post after the event, Moraes declared:

"I'm so happy. A lot of fighters have their fights coming up. In 2025, I think MMA is going to come hard in ONE Championship and I'm happy. I'm just praying to God every single day for this company to go forward and get bigger and bigger. I'm so happy that it's happening."

Moraes is one of a handful of ONE athletes who were with the promotion in its early days and are still active today. While many of his peers have already hung up their gloves, 'Mikinho' recently proved he has much left in the tank.

Including his guillotine choke of 'The King' at ONE 169, the former ONE flyweight MMA world champion has earned nine finishes in 12 victories under the ONE banner — eight via submission and one by knockout.

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Adriano Moraes holds Danny Kingad and Lions Nation MMA in high regard

Adriano Moraes happily gave Danny Kingad and his new camp, Lions Nation MMA, their flowers before their thrilling ONE 169 matchup, which served as their long-awaited rematch from November 2017.

Speaking with Combate, 'Mikinho' said:

"Danny Kingad, I know he left Team Lakay. I know he left Team Lakay and then went to Eduard Folayang's team and they opened Lions Nation MMA. They have a new team there too, and I believe he's got a good team around him."

Check out the full interview below:

Fans in the United States and Canada with an active Prime Video subscription can rewatch the entirety of ONE 169 on demand.