Adriano Moraes Riding a Wave of Confidence into ONE FC Main Event

Following the first loss of his career, to Yusup Saadulaev last November, Shooto standout Adriano “Black Diamond” Moraes rebounded with a second-round submission victory over Yasuhiro Urushitani in his ONE FC debut in March.

For Moraes, the win over Urushitani not only got him back on the winning track, but it also helped reestablish his confidence by defeating such a tough opponent.

“First of all, I have to say that was such a great honor for me fighting against Urushitani. I am a huge fan of him and follow his career since Shooto times,” said Moraes. “I have to say the taste of the victory is sweet, so I felt very happy, positive and confident after that fight.

“I knew the fight would be defined in the details and that’s what happened. Regardless of the outcome, I can say that was the hardest fight (speaking strategically) of my career.”

Currently Moraes is one of the crop of top young prospects in ONE FC. When asked how he feels to be in such a position, Moraes replied, “I don’t feel any kind of pressure.

“Actually, I am very grateful by the opportunity ONE FC gave to me. I know that I am a prospect and have a lot of things to prove yet. But I will.”

Moraes (10-1) will make his return to ONE FC on Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia, to face Kosuke Suzuki (10-3-2) in the evening’s Main Event.

“I’ve watched some fights and I saw a very tough and smart fighter,” said Moraes of Suzuki. “His MMA game seems to be solid.

“You guys can bet that this fight is going to be very busy. We both like to fight standing, so I think this will be the natural way of the fight and also the way I think I can optimize my chances to get the win over him.”

A win over Suzuki could push Moraes to the top of the flyweight division, but for now, he’s focused on the fight itself, and he’ll deal with whatever comes after the fight when it happens.

“Nowadays, I only think about June 14,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “If I win my next fight, ONE FC will tell me if I deserve something bigger until the end of the year. If they call me, I will be prepared, you bet.

“I want to invite every single MMA fan in Jakarta to come and watch the show on June 14. Support the national hero, Fransino Tirta, and also cheer for me. It’s going to be huge!”