Former one-time UFC Bantamweight title contender Marlon Moraes has announced his retirement from the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) after a career that lasted 15 years. He currently occupies the no. 14 spot in the division.
Marlon Moraes was one of the most highly-rated prospects to sign for the UFC ahead of his debut in 2017. He was coming off 5 back to back wins and title defences at the ‘World Series of Fighting’ (now known as PFL).
Although his first fight against Raphael Assunção did not go his way, Marlon went on a 4 fight win streak where he beat the current champion Aljamain Sterling and avenged his loss to Assunção.
The Brazilian then finally got the chance to fight for the UFC 135lbs title at UFC 238. Despite handily winning the first round, his cardio fell off and ultimately lost the fight via stoppage in the third round.
Since, losing to Henry Cejudo in 2019, Marlon has only managed to win 1 of his last 5 fights and lost all four of his last bouts in the UFC. After his most recent knockout defeat to Song Yadong, the fans wonder whether it was time to hang up the gloves or not?
Marlon Moraes: ‘I’m thankful to the UFC for the opportunities’
Ahead of his last fight in March, Marlon Moraes stated in an interview that he may not have any more chances to get his career back on track if he losses against Song Yadong. Hence, the bad knockout loss may have pushed Moraes towards the decision to retire.
He put out a statement last night announcing his retirement. The 33-year old thanked the UFC for giving him the chance to fight in the biggest MMA promotion in the world. He also thanked his teammates including UFC legend Frankie Edgar. He said,
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“I want to thank everyone. Sean Shelby, Hunter Campbell, Dana White & the UFC for giving me so many opportunities. I want to thank my family, coaches, manager, everybody who has been part of my career. I’m still going to be around MMA helping Young guys, and my friends. I also want to say thank you to Mark Henry, Ricardo Almeida, Frankie Edgar and Anderson França.”
It sounds like Marlon Moraes will transition into a coaching role after stepping away from active competition. A lot of young fighters will benefit from the insights that Moraes may be able to provide. Here at SportsManor, we wish him all the best in his future endeavours.
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