ONE Championship: Adriano Moraes believes he's still the underdog against Demetrious Johnson

Despite scoring a shocking knockout in their first outing, Adriano Moraes feels he still has something to prove in his massive rematch with flyweight great Demetrious Johnson at ONE on Prime Video 1 on August 26.

The two will meet once again following their ONE on TNT 4 matchup that saw Moraes deliver a knee straight to the chin of a downed ‘Mighty Mouse’ to retain the ONE flyweight world championship.

This marked the first time Johnson had ever been knocked out in MMA. It was a moment of pure insanity given that the American entered the bout as a -700 favorite to walk away as the new world champion.

While speaking with Denise Salcedo, Moraes discussed his feelings going into the rematch and admitted that, despite the results of the first fight, he still feels the same pressure he felt ahead of their 2021 meeting:

“I always like to say that [a] champion is not just a guy who wins. It’s that guy who has courage to push forward and go to war no matter what. In that fight, I learned about courage. Like, ‘you’re gonna fight the greatest of all time, okay, let’s go!’ and I did it. So for the next one, right now, the pressure’s the same.”

Check out Moraes' full interview below:

Adriano Moraes is preparing for an even stronger Demetrious Johnson at ONE on Prime Video 1

Adriano Moraes continued to discuss the highly anticipated rematch, saying that he is readying himself for an even tougher challenge as Johnson will be coming to avenge the first knockout loss of his career:

“It’s the same guy, you know, and he’s still the GOAT, and I’m still working hard because I know right now he’s gonna come hungry for revenge. And some guys with this kind of feeling, that revenge, they are tough as f***. So, I’ve been preparing very well at American Top Team to give you guys a show, and I’m still the champion.”

With Adriano Moraes competing in front of 200 million Amazon Prime subscribers, it’s an opportunity for the Brazilian to catch the eye of many North American fans.

A second statement win over an established great could push Moraes’ popularity through the stratosphere on August 26.