“He was always nice with me” – ONE’s Adriano Moraes shoots down narrative that Colby Covington hates Brazilians

Adriano Moraes refuses to believe that Colby Covington hates Brazilians.

The former UFC interim welterweight champion made remarks about Brazilian fight fans and the country following his win over Demian Maia nearly five years ago – ones that supposedly almost got him and his team into trouble in the football-loving nation.

ONE flyweight world champion Adriano Moraes, however, doesn't view any of those remarks as ill-intentioned. The Brazilian revealed that the Covington was always kind to him whenever they shared the mats at American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida.

Ahead of his world title contest against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X on Saturday, March 26, Adriano Moraes had this to say about Covington:

“He was always nice with me. When he went to fight in Brazil, the crowd was very cruel to him, and he just responded in kind."

'Mikinho' went on to explain that the UFC star's remarks were part of the business and pointed out that Covington regularly acts controversially in the lead-up to his fights.

“I believe it's part of show business. He trash-talks and tries to sell the fight as best he can. And the UFC likes that. I believe he says a lot of stuff just to sell the fight. And in the end, it works out because he's always getting good fights and making the main event,” he said.

Covington went to war with Maia in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in October 2017, where the grappling expert took home a unanimous decision win over the BJJ specialist after three rounds of battle.

Following the triumph, Covington described the country as a "dump" and referred to its fight fans as "filthy animals."

---

What’s at stake for Adriano Moraes at ONE X?

The Brazilian athlete will make his 14th appearance on the global stage when he puts his strap on the line against Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X, the promotion’s 10-year anniversary event at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Brazilian fighter enters the bout on the back of a stunning KO of Demetrious ‘Mighty Mouse’ Johnson at ONE on TNT in April of last year. The flyweight king put out the MMA GOAT with a crunching knee at 2:24 of the second frame.

His triumph over Johnson was his first-ever knockout win at the Singapore-based promotion, and he hopes to add another one to his resume against his Japanese foe on Saturday, March 26.