“I Haven’t Beat Him Yet” – Demetrious Johnson Fired Up to Prove He Can Beat Flyweight King Adriano Moraes

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson understands that his upcoming rematch with ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes will be a difficult test, but the mixed martial arts icon feels he has enough in his arsenal to gain redemption against the Brazilian superstar.

Johnson is set to go toe-to-toe with Moraes again in the main event of ONE 161: Moraes vs. Johnson II, which airs live on US prime-time on Friday, August 26.

In their first meeting at ONE on TNT I in April last year, Moraes scored a shock knockout thanks to a devastating knee to Johnson’s head. “Mighty Mouse” went out cold and was handed the first KO of his illustrious career.

Evening the score and ending ‘Mikinho’s’ reign at the top are high priorities for Johnson in the upcoming rematch, but he has a greater focus on his mind, and that’s showing the world that he can defeat his longtime rival.

“For me, my challenge is I haven’t beat him yet, so I have a challenge in front of me. I have to go prove I can beat this man,” he said.

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“It’s another tough [fight]. He’s a great athlete. He always comes prepared. He’s always in great condition. And then on that day, I’m just going to go out there and fight and see [what happens].”

Demetrious Johnson believes he has nothing to lose in the rematch

The American veteran has studied the first fight and recognizes his shortcomings. He admits his willingness to bring the action to the defending king cost him dearly and knows that he’ll have to be more level-headed this time.

“I know I have to be patient. Before I fought [Moraes], I watched his fights, and I thought, ‘Okay, he never really engages.’ He’s always used his movement or whatnot,” Johnson said.

“And then fighting him, I realized he really didn’t engage because I was chasing him the whole time.”

Now with a golden chance to bounce back and prove that he is still one of the most dangerous flyweights on the planet, the 12-time MMA World Champion will bring the fire to “The Lion City” at ONE 161.

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And this time, it will be without the added pressure from the crowd automatically expecting him to win.

“I mean, at the end of the day, I have nothing to lose. I’ve just lost,” he added.