From abandoned to adored: Adriano Moraes hopes to inspire as a World Champion

Brazilian Adriano ‘Mikinho’ Moraes heads into ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD with the ONE Flyweight World Championship belt proudly around his waist once again, and this time he plans on keeping hold of it for good.

Moraes’ first stint as a ONE World Champion lasted just two defenses, as he was defeated by the hard-charging Kazakh Kairat Akhmetov in 2015.

Undeterred, the Brazilian worked his way back into title contention, and exacted revenge as he handed Akhmetov the first defeat of his career, snapping Akhmetov’s remarkable 23-bout win streak in the process.

It took him two long years to reascend to the summit of ONE Championship’s flyweight division, and now he’s back on top, Moraes (16-2) says he plans on staying there, and acting as an inspiration for his young students.

“My destiny is to be a world champion,” said the 29-year-old. “My destiny is to be a role model for the kids. It is my destiny to be with my family and to keep moving forward with my life.

“If I can teach my classes and pass forward what I have learned through martial arts, I can show other people what you can do when you believe in yourself.”

Moraes’ own story is an inspiring one, with or without the ONE Flyweight World Championship belt.

After being abandoned on the streets just days after his birth in April 1988, Moraes was rescued and placed in an orphanage in Brasilia. At that point, his future was as uncertain as any young child could ever imagine.

Good fortune smiled on Moraes when at 3 years of age, he was adopted by a kind soul by the name of Mirtes Moraes, who brought him up as if he was her own.

“She means everything to me. She is my idol,” he says of the woman he’s called his mother from the moment he could speak. “I did everything for her, and I continue to do everything for her, for this love.”

Despite being brought up in a loving home, the dangers of the Brazilian streets were never far away, and he found himself caught up in youth gangs and street fights as a teenager.

After one fight too many, Moraes decided to learn Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and quickly caught the martial arts bug.

He joined the local Constrictor Team under coaches Erick Medeiros and Ataide Junior and quickly progressed, as his natural aptitude for grappling saw him rise through the belt system, winning a host of BJJ titles before finally being awarded his BJJ black belt.

After achieving significant success in grappling, Moraes sought more challenges, and transitioned to professional competition, where he’d be tested in all facets of martial arts

“Martial arts changed my life for better,” he said. “It changed my mindset, changed everything in my life, and is very important to me.

“This is my work, this is my lifestyle, this is my job, and martial arts is everything to me. I love what I do.”

Moraes’ transition to the cage was virtually seamless. He won his first nine contests, picking up a Brazilian title in the process. Those early successes took him into the ONE Championship cage, where he suffered his first defeat on his ONE debut - a split-decision loss to Russian Yusup Saadulaev.

Fuelled by the loss, the Brazilian bounced back impressively, earning two eye-catching submissions wins to push him into title contention, and a bout for the inaugural ONE Flyweight World Championship against Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio.

Moraes rose to the occasion, submitting Eustaquio in the second round to become a ONE World Champion, and reach the highest point of his martial arts career.

However, he lost the title two bouts later to Akhmetov in agonising fashion, as he found himself on the wrong end of a split-decision verdict.

Following that heartbreaking loss, Moraes, whose life story is a shining example of how you can bounce back from adversity, showed his resilience once again. 

He came storming back to dominate “The Kazakh” with one of the most impressive all-round martial arts displays of 2017, as he reclaimed the title at ONE: KINGS AND CONQUERORS this past August in Macau, China.

The Brazilian says his achievements are merely a demonstration of how his faith and determination have taken him from the lowest of lows to the highest of highs.

“My life story is going to show and teach every teenager and kid that when they do not know what to do when their dream is lost, that God has more light for you,” he said. “God has one more chance for you.”

Moraes’ next challenge sees him line up against dangerous striker Danny “The King” Kingad at ONE: LEGENDS OF THE WORLD in Manila, as he looks to cement his position as the premier flyweight in ONE Championship.

For ‘The Black Diamond’, it’s not just another contest. It’s another opportunity to showcase his remarkable story and show the world — his young students in particular — that setting a good example will always pay dividends, with or without a championship belt.

“If you do great things in your life, not just when you become a champion, you will be a good example for kids and other people,” he said. “For me, in my life, I always do my best every day. We work every day to stay at a high level.”