Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes promised to shock the world at ONE on TNT I and that’s exactly what he did.
The reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion continues his reign in the division following a stunning second-round TKO win over 12-time World Champion Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson last Thursday morning (Manila time) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Moraes relied on a furious flurry midway through the second-round, dropped Johnson with a short right uppercut. He then flattened his foe with a perfect left knee to the face just when “Mighty Mouse” was beginning to recover.
Johnson couldn’t regain his bearings, though, as “Mikinho” continued to land punches cleanly. It forced the referee to stop the bout at the 2:24 mark of the second round, effectively making him the first person to finish the legendary American in his career.
“This is a dream come true. I work hard in the gym every day. I can’t describe this moment, I have no words… We did it! We did it!” an ecstatic Moraes told the ONE Championship commentary team after the bout.
“I grew up watching DJ fight, he’s a legend. He’s a grappler like me but me and my team had the perfect strategy to fight against him. I got him with a good uppercut and I really don’t know what to say. I’m just so excited.”
It was a career-defining victory for Moraes, now 19-3, who came into the match as an underdog. This, despite being the king of ONE Championship’s flyweight division for the longest time.
But he shut off all the external noise and delivered on his promise to retain his strap and prove that the flyweight division of The Home Of Martial Arts is far from a pushover.
Johnson, who lost in the promotion for the first time, was classy in the defeat.
“It’s part of the game,” Johnson said after being finished for the first time. “You’re in the game for so long, it’s bound to happen one of these days, right?
“He did a good job keeping the range and distance. He caught me slipping and was able to catch me.”
In the final bout of the evening, ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon lived up to expectations following an entertaining unanimous decision over a game “Mini T” Danial Williams.
Things didn’t go as well for Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez since he got disqualified in the first round after landing accidental illegal blows to Iuri Lapicus.
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