‘The World Title Is There For The Taking’ – Danny Kingad Aims To Seize Massive Opportunity In Rematch With Adriano Moraes
Danny “The King” Kingad has been a top-five contender in ONE’s flyweight MMA division for many years, but the #3-ranked Filipino feels ready to go one step further.
The 29-year-old will rematch former ONE Flyweight MMA World Champion and current #1 contender Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes on November 8 at ONE 169: Malykhin vs. Reug Reug, and he knows a victory would all but guarantee him a shot at gold.
With the divisional throne now vacant following the recent retirement of Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, two new challengers will need to emerge.
And after waiting patiently for so long, “The King” is eager to seize this opportunity.
He told onefc.com:
“It’s an exciting time in the flyweight division. It’s wide open. I feel blessed that I’m still close to getting there, and it gives me the motivation to beat Adriano and maybe get the chance to compete for the vacant World Title.
“I think this fight is the way to get that World Title shot after seven long years. I’m motivated. The World Title is there for the taking, and I’m eyeing it.
“Each time I have come close to the top before, I ended up losing. There’s no frustration, but I’m being more diligent now.”
Kingad challenged for the World Title back in 2017 when he was offered a late-notice matchup with Moraes at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD.
The Filipino jumped at that chance, but in hindsight, he recognizes that he was probably not ready back then.
However, with 15 ONE appearances and an impressive 11-4 record to his credit, “The King” is now a seasoned veteran and believes he can get redemption for his submission defeat seven years ago:
“The first time we faced each other, I stepped up to take him on. It was three weeks before the fight they called and gave me the opportunity to change opponents and get the World Title shot, so I took it. Back then, I was still studying. It’s totally a different case now. Right now, I’m truly focused. I’m ready for him.
“I’m highly motivated for this fight. I’ve learned and experienced a lot through the years. I know what I’m doing now. This time, I know that I can beat him, unlike before where I got shocked because it was just my third fight in ONE and I already got a World Championship bout against him.”
Kingad Determined To Knock Out Moraes At ONE 169
Danny Kingad has developed all areas of his game during his ONE tenure, showcasing impressive striking and grappling against the best fighters in the flyweight MMA division.
He’s shown he has the skills to win, but in order to reach the very top, he’s on the hunt for stoppages.
With his last nine victories coming on the judges’ scorecards, “The King” is doing everything he can to start finishing whoever stands opposite him:
“It’s in my mind now to start finishing fights. In each fight that I don’t finish my opponent, it bothers me, and all I can do is to ask my coaches, go back to the drawing board, and continue to learn.
“Right now, I’m working with boxing coach, Don Colas, to work on my power.”
With all of this extra effort going into his finishing ability, Kingad wants to display it against Moraes and make a big statement.
“Mikinho” has built his career mostly around his world-class grappling, but Kingad has a plan to deal with that so he can gun for a knockout in the stand-up exchanges.
He added:
“I feel like I’ll adjust well in this fight. I’ve trained everything. I think it all boils down to formulating a perfect game plan and executing it to perfection.
“This is going to be a great fight. I’m looking for that knockout win. I’m going to get my hand raised.”
