“She’s always been supportive of me” - Danny Kingad says beating Adriano Moraes will be the perfect tribute to his late mother

Earlier this year, Danny Kingad grieved the passing of his mother, but now he's ready to bring her memories as the best motivation for his next challenge.

Kingad is slated to face former ONE flyweight MMA world champion Adriano Moraes in a clash that would bring massive implications to the division after the great Demetrious Johnson retired and vacated the belt at ONE 168: Denver.

Now, heading into his rematch with the former king at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 inside the iconic Lumpinee Stadium, the Filipino star believes that a victory would be the best tribute to his late mother.

'The King' told ONE Championship about how his mother had been a constant presence for him throughout the years:

"I’m really motivated to win this fight for my mom. She’s always been supportive of me. She always supported me in this sport."

He also added:

"Sometimes she’d just say, ‘I don’t care if you get hit, the most important thing is you win!’ That’s how I’m motivating myself."

With that motivation, his clash with Moraes would certainly be something not to miss out on.

ONE 169 will air live in U.S. primetime, free of charge for North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription.

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Danny Kingad believes he's now better prepared to face Adriano Moraes

As Danny Kingad heads into his rematch with former ONE flyweight MMA world champion Adriano Moraes with the memories of his mother, the Lions Nation MMA product believes he is better than his old rival now.

Kingad lost via submission in the first round of their initial clash in Nov. 2017, and the veteran believes that the showdown at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug on Nov. 8 would be a game-changer for his career.

In an interview with The MMA Superfan, 'The King' highlighted his developments after almost seven years since their last clash:

"Back then, I wasn't sure 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."

Since losing to Moraes, Danny Kingad has won eight matches to become one of the top contenders in the division. He's aiming for a shot at the vacated flyweight world title with a victory over 'Mikinho'.