Reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes said in a recent interview with the International Business Times, that he would not only defeat UFC Flyweight World Champion Deiveson Figueiredo, but also “smash and finish” him, if ONE Championship and the UFC were ever to co-promote an event.
Moraes was reacting to speculation, after ONE Championship Chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong was recently quoted as saying he was open to the idea of a ONE vs. UFC mega event.
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“Deiveson Figueiredo is a true Brazilian warrior. He is very strong and has incredible knockout power. He also has that ‘Marajoara’ fighting style that has proven problematic. But I think his weakness is his jiu-jitsu,” Moraes told IBTimes.
“If I fight Deiveson, I would use my timing to smash him, wrestle him, and finish him with my jiu-jitsu. Whether it’s by submission or by knockout, I believe I will win.”
Moraes is the most dominant flyweight titleholder in ONE Championship history. He cemented that claim with a victory over 12-time former UFC Flyweight World Champion and legend Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in April.
“Mikinho” needed only two rounds to deal Johnson the first stoppage loss of his professional career, and knock out who many consider arguably the greatest fighter of all time, pound-for-pound.
“I think I showed in my last fight (against Johnson) that I can beat anyone in this game. I would be a UFC champion if I was in the UFC,” Moraes said.
Although highly unlikely, Sityodtong has said for years that he would be willing to pit his ONE Championship martial arts heroes and world champions against the very best the UFC has to offer. Fans are certainly loving the idea, as evidenced by the amount of buzz this has received on social media.
Cross-promotion in the MMA world is a rare occurrence, but it has happened in the past, so it’s not entirely impossible.
Another interesting matchup is Johnson himself, taking on Figueiredo. Johnson was not able to cross paths with Figueiredo before he left the UFC in 2018, but it’s a fight many fans still debate about today.
Moraes believes Johnson would have beaten Figueiredo too, had they met inside the Octagon.
“I think DJ is just an overall better fighter. He is a smarter fighter, for sure. So I would have favored DJ to win by decision or submission,” Moraes said.
“DJ is a legend. We had a great fight, but he will always be a legend. He’s still one of the best in this weight class and a tough out for anybody.”
