Adriano Moraes and Demetrious Johnson will rematch at the upcoming ONE Championship 161 event in August.
Adriano Moraes vs. Demetrious Johnson 2
Ariel Helwani confirms the matchup will take place from the Singapore Indoor Stadium on August 26. Johnson will get to rematch the first and only man to have ever finished him in his mixed martial arts (MMA) career.
Johnson was knocked out cold in the second round of his bout with Moraes, who retained his flyweight title with a vicious knee. It snapped Johnson’s three-fight win streak, marking his first loss under the ONE Championship banner.
The victory over Johnson marked the first successful title defense of Moraes’ third reign as ONE Flyweight Champion. Since his win over Johnson, Moraes has picked up another successful title defense, defeating Yuya Wakamatsu via submission, extending his current win streak to three.
Now, the 33-year-old has the opportunity to put a staple on his reign as flyweight king, by once again thwarting Johnson – one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Johnson won the ONE Championship Grand Prix tournament in 2019, landing him his initial title opportunity against Moraes. Prior to ONE, Johnson was a historical figure in the UFC.
He was the inaugural flyweight champion for the promotion, and its most decorated champion of all time. Johnson holds the record for most consecutive title defenses in UFC history with 11.
If he’s somehow able to get by Moraes in their rematch, he’ll have the opportunity to replicate his UFC success in a completely different promotion.