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Tag: adriano moraes

  • Herb Dean Has Very Specific Explanation For Most Controversial Moment At MVP MMA 1

    Herb Dean Has Very Specific Explanation For Most Controversial Moment At MVP MMA 1

    Herb Dean says he is certain he made the right call in stopping the Adriano Moraes vs. Phumi Nkuta bout at MVP MMA 1, despite the controversy surrounding the finish.

    Moraes sank in a rear-naked choke in the final seconds of Round 3, with Nkuta going unconscious just before the bell rang. Moraes was awarded the win at 4:59 of the third round, but the timing of the stoppage immediately drew debate. Dean addressed the decision on The Ariel Helwani Show.

    “I’m certain that the right decision was made. Definitely sure that he went unconscious before the bell — like, a fraction of a second before the bell — and then I went and stopped the fight. He held on for a fraction of a second past the bell. I don’t think it was egregious enough for me to disqualify him.”

    Dean also addressed why Moraes may have continued holding the choke past the bell.

    “Each fight is the most important fight of your career, and you have seconds to lock something in. Who knows where his mind was at? He’s fighting for everything, for his whole career, and giving it everything he’s got. Sometimes it takes a second for someone to realize it’s over.”

    Nkuta’s manager has filed a formal appeal of the result with the California State Athletic Commission. The outcome of that appeal remains uncertain.

  • Adriano Moraes Earns Last-Second Submission At MVP MMA

    Adriano Moraes Earns Last-Second Submission At MVP MMA

    Appearing to be just seconds away from losing in upset fashion, Adriano Moraes pulled off a sudden finish, getting to the back of Phumi Nkuta and scoring a legitimate last-second submission victory.

    Nkuta brought it to Moraes early, working over the former ONE flyweight champion with boxing combinations and pressure. Nkuta dropped Moraes late in the first round, nearly scoring a submission. Moraes’ grappling pressure then started to take over, securing strong positioning in the backpack position and on the ground.

    Nkuta continued to get the upper hand in the third round; however, a late knee attempt from Moraes got Nkuta off balance, resulting in Moraes jumping on the back and locking up the choke.

    The time expired; however, Nkuta did not move for several seconds, resulting in a technical submission being called — and upheld by the California State Athletic Commission.

    Adriano Moraes Scores Final-Second Technical Submission Of Phumi Nkuta At MVP MMA

    Multiple MMA media members, however, took issue with the fact that Moraes still held onto the choke when the bell sounded.

    Moraes, the former ONE flyweight champion, entered this fight with three losses in his last four fights. He was finished in the first round by Yuya Wakamatsu in their March 2025 ONE flyweight title fight.

    Nkuta, who took this fight on short notice to fill in for Muhammad Mokaev, entered this fight 11-0.

  • Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Card Suffers Big Blow After Fighter Withdraws Due to Visa Issues One Week Out From May 16 Event

    Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano Card Suffers Big Blow After Fighter Withdraws Due to Visa Issues One Week Out From May 16 Event

    A highly anticipated matchup between two of the world’s best non-UFC flyweights has fallen apart just days before the blockbuster Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card.

    Most Valuable Promotions confirmed Saturday that Muhammad Mokaev has been forced out of next weekend’s Netflix event due to visa complications, resulting in a late opponent change for Adriano Moraes ahead of the May 16 card at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

    Instead, undefeated prospect Phumi Nkuta will now step in on short notice to face Moraes in a 130-pound catchweight bout.

    Muhammad Mokaev Suffers Frustrating Setback Ahead Of Massive Netflix Card

    Mokaev’s withdrawal is a significant blow to the event, given the intrigue surrounding the matchup. The undefeated flyweight was widely viewed as one of the standout names attached to the card, and many fans saw the fight as a potential statement opportunity that could help reopen the door to a UFC return.

    The 25-year-old remains unbeaten in professional MMA with a 16-0 record and previously went 7-0 inside the UFC before his surprising release in 2024. During his time with the promotion, Mokaev picked up victories over notable names such as Manel Kape, Alex Perez, and Tim Elliott.

    Since leaving the UFC, Mokaev has continued winning outside the promotion and even captured the inaugural Brave CF flyweight championship last year.

    His replacement, Nkuta, enters the spotlight carrying an undefeated 11-0 professional record. The South African-born flyweight has competed for promotions such as Bellator, LFA, and CFFC, where he previously held championship gold.

    Meanwhile, Moraes enters the matchup looking to rebound from recent struggles. The longtime ONE Championship standout famously defeated Demetrious Johnson during his title reign, though he has dropped three of his last four fights heading into the Netflix event.

    The May 16 card remains stacked despite the late change, featuring appearances from stars such as Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Junior dos Santos.

  • ONE 172 Results & Highlights: Rodtang Stops Takeru In Under 90 Seconds

    ONE 172 Results & Highlights: Rodtang Stops Takeru In Under 90 Seconds

    The stacked ONE 172 event took place Sunday, and MMA News has you covered with all the action!

    ONE Championship was back in Japan this past week, where the Saitama Super Arena played host to a number of intriguing battles across three different sports.

    Asia’s premier martial arts organization brought with it to the “Land of the Rising Sun” a deep lineup, filled with champions and plenty of prominent names in MMA, Muay Thai, and kickboxing.

    After four blockbuster title fights took place featuring the likes of MMA star Adriano Moraes, atomweight kickboxing champion Phetjeeja, and strawweight striker Jonathan Di Bella, the long-awaited showdown between Takeru Segawa and Rodtang Jitmuangnon headlined proceedings.

    It took “The Iron Man” less than 90 seconds to finish “The Natural Born Krusher.”

    With Sunday’s event concluded, see below for the full results and a replay via the promotion’s official YouTube channel.

    ONE 172 Results & Highlights

    Main Card:

    • Flyweight Kickboxing: Rodtang Jitmuangnon def. Takeru Segawa via KO: R1, 1:20
    • Interim Featherweight Kickboxing Championship: Masaaki Noiri def. Tawanchai PK Saenchai via TKO: R3, 1:55
    • Flyweight MMA Championship: Yuya Wakamatsu def. Adriano Moraes via TKO: R1, 3:39
    • Interim Strawweight Kickboxing Championship: Jonathan Di Bella def. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao via unanimous decision
    • Atomweight Kickboxing Championship: Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom def. Kana Morimoto via unanimous decision
    • Bantamweight Muay Thai: Nabil Anane def. Superlek via unanimous decision
    • Featherweight Kickboxing: Marat Grigorian vs. Kaito Ono
    • Atomweight Muay Thai: Nadaka Yoshinari def. Rak Erawan via KO: R3, 2:40
    • Lightweight MMA: Shinya Aoki def. Eduard Folayang via submission (armbar): R1, 0:53
    • Bantamweight Kickboxing: Hiroki Akimoto def. John Lineker via split decision
    • Lightweight MMA: Adrian Lee def. Takeharu Ogawa via submission (anaconda choke): R1, 1:03
    • Flyweight Muay Thai: Shimon Yoshinari def. Yodlekpet Or Atchariya via unanimous decision

    Early Card:

    • Flyweight Kickboxing: Hyu Iwata def. Zakaria El Jamari via KO: R1, 2:12
    • Catchweight (132lbs) Kickboxing: Ryusei Kumagai def. Suriyanlek Por Yenying via unanimous decision

    Ryusei Kumagai Def. Suriyanlek Por Yenying

    Hyu Iwata Def. Zakaria El Jamari

    Shimon Yoshinari Def. Yodlekpet Or Atchariya

    Adrian Lee Def. Takeharu Ogawa

    Hiroki Akimoto Def. John Lineker

    Shinya Aoki Def. Eduard Folayang

    Nadaka Yoshinari Def. Rak Erawan

    Nabil Anane Def. Superlek

    Phetjeeja Lukjaoporongtom Def. Kana Morimoto

    Jonathan Di Bella Def. Sam-A Gaiyanghadao

    Yuya Wakamatsu Def. Adriano Moraes

    Masaaki Noiri Def. Tawanchai PK Saenchai

    Rodtang Jitmuangnon Def. Takeru Segawa

  • ONE Championship Announces Fight For Title Vacated After Demetrious Johnson’s Retirement

    ONE Championship Announces Fight For Title Vacated After Demetrious Johnson’s Retirement

    ONE Championship has announced that on March 23 at ONE 172, the promotion will crown a new flyweight champion in the co-main event of the evening. The title has been left vacant ever since Demetrious Johnson announced his retirement at the Ball Arena in Denver this past September at ONE 168.

    Following several high stakes contests at flyweight, the two top contenders that will battle for the gold have emerged. Brazil’s Adriano Moraes is a multiple time flyweight champion in ONE and was the inaugural holder of the title back in 2014. In his latest title reign, he ended his trilogy of fights with Geje Eustaquio before becoming the first man to finish Johnson in 2021 which kickstarted their trilogy of fights.

    Moraes recently returned to the win column in Johnson’s absence by beating Danny Kingad at ONE 169 in November via a submission in the second round. “Mikinho” is now set to face off with Japan’s Yuya Wakamatsu who is sure to receive an incredible amount of support at the Saitama Super Arena on March 23.

    Wakamatsu previously challenged Moraes for the flyweight title in 2022 at ONE: X where he was submitted in the third round. After suffering back-to-back defeats, “Little Pranha” has won three in a row including a dominant victory at the start of December over Gilbert Nakatani.

    This huge card is set to be headlined by arguably the biggest fight in the history of the promotion as Rodtang Jitmuangnon faces off with Takeru Segawa in a kickboxing super fight that has been building ever since their matchup at ONE 165 earlier this year fell through due to an injury to the Thai superstar. There is sure to be a lot more top Japanese talent on the card for what will be ONE’s biggest event to date.

  • Report: Managers File Lawsuit Against ONE Champion Adriano Moraes

    Talent managers Alex Davis and Samir Nadaf have reportedly filed a lawsuit against ONE Championship fighter Adriano Moraes.

    The lawsuit alleges Moraes owes the managers over $100,000 due to a breach of contract.

    The issue stems from a claim that Moraes wasn’t paying the managers an agreed-upon amount of his income. News of the filing was first reported by Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting.

    Details obtained by MMA Fighting allege that Moraes was giving his management less than what he agreed to give them as part of a deal. The managers claim he agreed to pay them 10 percent of fight purses and 20 percent of his money from sponsorships, but they say he only gave them 5 percent for his last two outings.

    Managers Allege They Are Owed $35,000 For Fight Against Johnson

    Adriano Moraes, Demetrious Johnson
    Adriano Moraes, Demetrious Johnson, Credit: USA TODAY Sports

    Davis and Nadaf are reportedly seeking $113,000 in total.

    Moraes pulled off a big win earlier this year, stopping former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson with strikes. Documents filed in the lawsuit claim that Moraes was given $50,000 to show for that fight, along with another $50,000 for winning. He was also allegedly given an extra $250,000 as a bonus afterward.

    Davis and Nadaf claim they were owed $35,000 for the fight weekend but only received $2,500 from Moraes.

    “As a professional rule, I don’t make comments about contracts, money and etc publicly,” said Davis when requested for comment by MMA Fighting. “I seek the justice when I’m in need about any situation, and I’ll wait and humbly agree to its decision.”

    Moraes started his third run as the ONE 135-pound Champion in early 2019. In that fight, he avenged a loss he previously took against Geje Eustaquio. Moraes has fought on the ONE Championship roster since 2013.