Demetrious Johnson will face Adriano Moraes for the third time at ONE on Prime Video 10. The event is set for the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado and will be the promotion’s first ever card on American soil.
Johnson won the belt from the Brazilian with a highlight-reel knockout at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August. With the rivalry now tied at 1-1, the trilogy will be an intriguing affair.
The fight will take place at an elevation of around 6,800 feet. At that altitude fighter’s cardio could be seriously affected if they haven’t had time to acclimatize and this is clearly a factor in Johnson’s thinking as he starts putting together the final touches on his fight camp,
“Now, being 36, I understand how to fight and how to pace myself while pushing the pace. I just have to decide if I want to get there early or not. I fought in Broomfield, Colorado, before when I was still kind of young in my career,” explained Johnson.
AND NEW! 👑 @MightyMouse 🇺🇸 wins the ONE Flyweight World Title with a walk-off KO of Adriano Moraes!@PrimeVideo #ONEonPrimeVideo1 #ONEChampionship pic.twitter.com/A3G9dlesyw
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) August 27, 2022
High elevation
Most fighters look to spend time training at high elevation in order to prepare for these type of contests but Johnson admits he hasn’t made a decision on that yet,
“We haven’t crossed that bridge yet. I’m still trying to figure it out, [but] I’m not too worried about it. I’m gonna train my ass off and go out there and fight,” he said.
He prepared for his last fight with Moraes at Fight Ready in Arizona. That facility is around 1,200 feet above sea level and he will kick his training camp off there with former foe Henry Cejudo,
“I’m going back out to Arizona to get ready for my fight and do my pre-camp with Henry (Cejudo). After that, I’m going to do two weeks out there and see if it makes a difference” he said.
Adriano Moraes 🇧🇷 SHOCKS THE WORLD, becoming the first man to finish Demetrious Johnson! @adrianomkmoraes #WeAreONE #ONEChampionship #ONEonTNT pic.twitter.com/HhvlmwDwW6
— ONE Championship (@ONEChampionship) April 8, 2021
Stunning upset
Moraes stopped Johnson last year in what was seen as a stunning upset. Although he avenged that defeat with a stoppage win of his own earlier this year ‘DJ’ knows that the Brazilian has a good track record when it comes to winning rematches,
“You look at Geje Eustaquio and Kairat Akhmetov. He’s used to losing the belt and then getting the opportunity to get it back and he usually gets it back. He’s been here before and that’s the biggest thing that I see.”
Moraes was known for his grappling for most of his career but showcased just how effective his striking can be in his first meeting with Johnson. ‘DJ’ is regarded as the greatest flyweight of all time and when it comes to strategy he just believes in his ability to go out there and win,
“Just go out there and fight. That’s my game plan. Go out there and get on his ass like last time.”
