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With ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes and Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson set to face off for the former's gold strap later this year, Danny “The King” Kingad is waiting in the wings.
The Team Lakay superstar, who is the No.2 ranked flyweight contender in ONE, wants to redeem himself against the only two men to have defeated him.
“They’re the targets,” Danny Kingad said. “They are the barometers of the division, and they handed me both of my losses, so yes, I hope to face them again.”
As the division’s leading man, Moraes was the first to put a dent in the young Filipino’s sensational rise when they met at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD for the World Title in November 2017.
Despite coming into the contest riding a three-match win streak, Kingad could not overcome his lack of experience against “Mikinho’s” vastly superior grappling.
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt submitted the Baguio City native in the first round to successfully defend his ONE Flyweight World Title.
Danny Kingad returned to the drawing board, sharpened his skillset at Team Lakay, and is now ready for a rematch against his former foe.
“I think if I get to face Adriano again, I’ll come more prepared – particularly in my takedown defense and submission defense,” he said.
“Those are the most important things to improve on. When it comes to striking, I’ll also have to polish my power so if there’s a chance to knock him out, I can capitalize.”
Although the Filipino hero made great strides in his martial arts development, Danny Kigad was still at a disadvantage when he faced Johnson at the ONE Flyweight World Grand Prix Championship Final in Tokyo, Japan, in October 2019.
Johnson – widely recognized as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time – handed Danny Kingad the second loss of his young career.
While he came up short against the American legend, "The King" left Tokyo with several valuable takeaways, and he is more prepared than ever for the next encounter with “Mighty Mouse.”
“When we fight again, I really have to go and swing for the fences and look for a finish. The longer the match goes, the harder it is to take him on,” he said.
The respective defeats have only hardened Danny Kingad’s resolve to get back to the Circle and showcase his improvements.
“I think if it happens again, I would be showing a lot of new things – things that I wasn’t able to show,” Kingad continued.
“I’ve learned a lot since that match. I have gained experience from facing different opponents with different styles.”
