Marlon Moraes (Bloody Elbow)
UFC bantamweight title contender and WSOF champion Marlon Moraes retires at 33 years old, having competed in the UFC for five years
Brazilian mixed martial artist Marlon Moraes has laced the gloves after suffering four consecutive losses inside the octagon. The 33-year-old former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion and one-time UFC title challenger, has been on a losing streak since 2020, and he finds the time apt to announce his retirement.
His last appearance in the octagon was against fresh prospect Song Yadong last month, which ended in a first-round stoppage. Following the fight, Moraes took his gloves off in the cage, which led to many speculating that he is done with the sport.
CEO of Dominance MMA and Marlon’s manager Ali Abdel Aziz broke out the news first stating that his client has retired. It was followed by a statement released by Moraes which said, “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, and 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.”
Mixed martial arts will miss ‘Magic’ who enthralled fans with his career that spanned over a decade.
Marlon Moraes entered the UFC as a former World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion, who had defended his belt five times. He made his UFC debut in June 2017 against Raphael Assunção, but lost the fight by spilt division.
This lit a fire in his belly and he went on to win four straight fights, with notable wins over Jimmie Riveria, John Dodson and current bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. He fought for the vacant bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo, but lost the fight via TKO. He went on to score a split decision victory over MMA legend Jose Aldo, but the following fights were the toughest for him.
Moraes lost last four of his fights, getting finished in each of those fights. His UFC record stands at 5 wins and 6 losses, and his overall pro-MMA record stands at 23 wins, 10 losses and one draw.
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