Former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes has opened up on why he decided to return to fighting so soon after announcing his retirement.
Moraes announced that he was hanging up the gloves and ending his MMA career back in April, following a loss to Song Yadong in March. He lost four straight fights in the UFC since a split decision win over José Aldo at UFC 245.
Moraes will make his PFL debut at the 2022 PFL Championships in November. He returns to the organization, once known as the World Series of Fighting, for the first time since his reign as the WSOF bantamweight champion.
Moraes, at 34 years old, feels he can still compete against some of the top featherweights in the PFL. He’ll have the chance to prove himself in his first fight since briefly leaving MMA.
Marlon Moraes Ended Retirement To Return To Familiar Stomping Grounds
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Moraes explained why he decided to come back so soon after retiring.
“I wasn’t happy with the results, with how things were going with me, with the fights not going my way,” Moraes said. “But I think the time away from the sport was good to think about everything about my skills, and see what was going wrong. And to make a switch, make a change, and I’m really happy with this change…and being near people that really care about every single person on the roster. Have a chance to compete with some of the best 45ers in the world. I’m 34 years old right now, and it’s just hard for me to keep hurting myself cutting all the way down to 135…but I’m gonna get there now with my speed, power, energy is going to be different.”
Moraes will face another former UFC product, Shane Burgos, in his first appearance in the PFL SmartCage. Burgos signed with the PFL following an alleged botched attempt by the UFC to re-sign him.
Moraes hasn’t fought at 145lbs since 2011, having competed at featherweight for the first nine fights of his professional career. He fought for the Ring of Combat featherweight title at ROC 38 before making the move to bantamweight.
Moraes has re-captured the fire that once made him a top contender in the UFC and he’ll look to make a statement in his return to fighting later this year.
How do you think Marlon Moraes will perform at 145 pounds?