The last time Danny Kingad shared the circle with Adriano Moraes, he fell prey to the Brazilian's vice grip and was forced to yield in defeat. Admittedly, 'Mikinho's' bulletproof ground game still haunts the Filipino star even to this day.
Quite frankly, it's the biggest facet of Moraes' game that Kingad will be paying close attention to when they run it back at ONE 169: Atlanta.
These familiar foes will collide anew at the promotion's second US event of the year on Nov. 8 inside State Farm Arena.
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Appearing on The MMA Superfan's YouTube channel, the third-ranked flyweight MMA contender said he's better equipped to deal with the former champion's bread-and-butter:
"I’m just focused on my defense. We all know Adriano is a good grappler so that’s what I’m looking out for. The gameplan will definitely be focusing on defending that ground attack. I know he’ll try to take me to the ground and I’m preparing for it."
Kingad and Moraes first crossed paths back in 2017, when 'The King' challenged Moraes for his flyweight MMA belt.
While the Wushu specialist more than held his own during the striking exchanges, he was completely outmatched when the fight hit the ground and eventually succumbed to a rear-naked choke.
Rewatch Danny Kingad vs Adriano Moraes I:
Danny Kingad admits he was in over his head in first matchup with Adriano Moraes
Losing to Adriano Moraes was a big wake-up call for Danny Kingad. For one, it exposed the glaring holes in his game that he needed to fix.
Now, the Lions Nation MMA affiliate is excited to show his evolution and vows to flip the script in the rematch. He told The MMA Superfan:
"Back then, I wasn't mature yet, let's say I wasn't ripe for the picking yet. I feel now that I'm getting older, getting wiser and better now I believe I'm in my prime physically."
Tickets for ONE 169: Atlanta are available via Ticketmaster
Watch the full interview: