"I think this division right now is conquered by Brazilians already" - Adriano Moraes hails his countrymen's success in the bantamweight division

Adriano Moraes believes that there are enough Brazilians claiming supremacy in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, making it less appealing for him to compete in the higher weight class.

At ONE: Lights Out on March 11, his countrymen Bibiano Fernandes and John Lineker are set to determine the rightful owner of the bantamweight throne. Meanwhile, rising star Fabricio Andrade claimed that he was the “new king” of the division following his fourth straight victory in ONE Championship.

During an appearance on the Tarps Off Sports podcast, Moraes said he isn't interested in challenging the winner of the Fernandes-Lineker bout, nor is he considering moving up to bantamweight because of the top fighters in the division right now:

“Bibiano Fernandes is a legend in ONE Championship. I always like to call him the biggie boss because he’s so legendary. That match doesn’t make me motivated to fight. John Lineker, he was my former teammate – I trained with him a lot. In the bantamweight division, there is another Brazilian who is on the rise right now – Fabricio Andrade. So I think this division right now is conquered by Brazilians already.”

If given a choice, Adriano Moraes says he would rather compete against fighters of different nationalities. While he’s not completely closing his doors to competing at bantamweight, his current focus is extending his legacy in the flyweight division:

“If John Lineker has some problems with Bibiano Fernandes, I’m just gonna leave them to resolve it. I just wanna be in my division and win this fight. But if somebody wants to drop their weight and try to cross my weight, I will be there.”

Catch the full interview below:

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Adriano Moraes wants a quick finish against Yuya Wakamatsu at ONE X

At ONE X, Adriano Moraes will look to further assert his dominance in the flyweight division as he defends the ONE flyweight world championship against Yuya Wakamatsu.

While he recognizes the strengths of his opponent, Moraes is hoping he can get an early finish in the fight:

“I never have predictions, I just give the future to God’s hands. But I want to finish him in the second round, just like I did with Demetrious Johnson. Maybe in the first round too. We always want to finish quick, but I know Yuya Wakamatsu is a really explosive guy. He has his first and second round, this stuff. Maybe I need to push the fight for later, but I think he’s gonna feel my punches and my kicks, my footwork, my submission attempts, and I think I can hold him like a snake and put him to sleep.”

Wakamatsu may not be as easy as Moraes thinks, as the Japanese warrior is currently on a hot streak of five consecutive wins. Throughout his career, Wakamatsu has collected 15 wins against only four losses.

However, Moraes knows what he’s talking about as he’s proven time and again that he can back up his words with skills. Just ask Demetrious Johnson.