Handout photo
Former ONE flyweight champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio is the last guy to ever defeat reigning champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes, and he doesn’t see anyone beating the slick Brazilian anytime soon.
Eustaquio expects Moraes to come through when the Brazilian faces Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson in their highly anticipated rematch in the main event of ONE: Fight Night 1 on August 27 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Eustaquio and Moraes’ respective careers in ONE Championship have been interconnected, as they’ve shared three fights together, with "Mikinho” holding a 2-1 advantage in their series.
For Eustaquio, only those who have fought Moraes can truly tell how good the American Top Team athlete is.
“DJ needs to find a way to figure out Adriano’s ability to use his distance. Basically, that’s Adriano’s advantage in the flyweight division. He has the longest reach,” Eustaquio said.
“The distance he creates from his movements, it’s somewhat frustrating if you’re facing him. You have to be intelligent and good to create counter attacking opportunities. You also have to have proper timing so you can break his distance. I think that’s what DJ needs to do.”
That same reach gave Johnson problems in their first meeting, as Moraes kept the challenger at bay while waiting for his opportunity to land some serious damage on who many believe is the greatest of all time.
That opportunity came as he dropped Johnson with a huge uppercut, and the moment he saw his foe wobble, he didn’t let up, swarming him with punches and finishing the fight with a huge knee.
While Eustaquio doesn’t expect Moraes to finish him again given Johnson’s ability to adjust, he still sees “Mikinho” walking away as the champion.
“Since they are great warriors who will not stop, legendary athletes who want to win, I think [they] will be unbreakable. That’s why at the end of the day the match will come [down to] a decision,” he said.
“It’s going to be a unanimous decision, and still Adriano Moraes.”