Former ONE Flyweight MMA Word Champion Adriano Moraes has come a long way in his life, prevailing against all odds and rising from nothing.
Abandoned as a newborn in Brazil, Moraes grew up in an orphanage, but his life would change forever when he was adopted by a kind soul who raised him as a single mother. That gave him the chance he needed to succeed in life, and he has since dedicated himself to making his adoptive mother proud.
He began his martial arts journey at the age of 7 after his mother decided to enroll him in judo classes, and he soon picked up the Brazilian art of capoeira as well.
However, he fell into bad company and decided to take Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to learn how to defend himself. BJJ ignited a passion within Moraes, and he proved to be a natural talent, making a name for himself in grappling tournaments while earning the rank of black belt.
In 2011, Moraes decided to test his skills in mixed martial arts and went on a tear through the South American scene with a nine-bout winning streak to capture a regional championship.
That success continued in ONE Championship, where he embarked on a five-win run to capture and defend the inaugural ONE Flyweight MMA World Title.
He surrender the belt in late 2015 to Kairat Akhmetov in a heartbreaking split decision but bounced right back with a series of wins to reclaim the throne. Despite losing the World Championship in 2018 to longtime rival Geje Eustaquio, Moraes did not lose heart. In a thrilling trilogy bout, he overcame Eustaquio for the second time to stand once again as the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion.
Since that moment, Moraes shared the ring with MMA GOAT Demetrious Johnson three times. In their first meeting, Moraes did what no other fighter was able to accomplish — he flatlined “Mighty Mouse” with a flying knee.
Although he dropped his next two bouts against Johnson and ultimately lost his ONE Flyweight MMA World Title, Moraes is a mainstay in the division and is always one win away from challenging for the title he once held.
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