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ONE Championship flyweight king Adriano 'Mikinho' Moraes is now considered one of the best 135-pound fighters in the world. After shaking up the very foundations of the sport by knocking out Demetrious Johnson last year, Moraes defended his belt again in ONE's biggest event ever, ONE X.
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The three-time ONE flyweight champion is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt and is known for his constricting style of grappling. Securing half of his wins via submission (all of them via choke) tells you exactly why you shouldn't tangle with this man on the ground.
In an Instagram video posted by ONE Championship, we see his trademark guillotine choke getting things done side-by-side in 2014 and 2022.
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In 2014, 'Mikinho' put team Lakay standout Geje 'Gravity' Eustaquio in a deadly front choke just as the Filipino was transitioning to a takedown. Fast-forward to 2022 at ONE's biggest event ever, ONE X.
Moraes did the exact same thing, this time on the left side. The ONE flyweight champ locked in the choke just as his challenger, Yuya Wakamatsu, went for a takedown.
The champion himself commented on the video, citing how one should drill a submission move in practice:
"The importance to drill both sides 👏"
It's a mark of a true master when the first thing he sees in a submission is how it should be done in training. Drilling your guillotine choke from both arms is vital as situations in a fight will always call for your preparedness to execute it from any angle.
No doubt about it, Moraes is a master and we can see it in his results, regardless of what year it is. Instagram user @_chopstick420 went as bold as saying this in her comment:
"greatest flyweight of all time"
While the term "flyweight" is mostly used for fighters who weigh 125 pounds, in ONE Championship, it's at 135 pounds. Regardless, if there is to be a conversation regarding the greatest 135-pound fighter of all time is, Moraes will always be in it.
Watch the Instagram video here:
ONE Championship flyweight king Adriano Moraes defends his title in thrilling fashion at ONE X
At ONE X, Adriano Moraes, already in his third title reign, made a second straight defense of his belt. His challenger, Yuya 'Little Piranha' Wakamatsu, came in as a heavy threat with his proven knockout power.
Known for his complete mixed martial arts arsenal, Moraes dug into his grappling roots to win the fight swiftly.
After a slow first round, which had both fighters given a yellow card for timidity, the two increased their intensity and pressure in the next round. In the third round, Wakamatsu made a fatal error by shooting for a takedown on a known grappling specialist.
With Wakamatsu's neck exposed because of the takedown, Moraes didn't hesitate to sink in a guillotine choke. 'Mikinho', being a feared jiu-jitsu black belt, forced Wakamatsu to tap almost immediately.
Watch the full fight here:
