Marlon Moraes

Marlon Moraes (born April 26, 1988) is a Brazilian former professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Featherweight division of the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He previously competed in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and World Series of Fighting (WSOF), the original incarnation of the PFL. He was the former and inaugural WSOF Bantamweight Champion.

Early career Moraes got his start in martial arts with Muay Thai at age seven and began training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at age 15. He saw national success in Muay Thai in his native Brazil, earning a pair of Muay Thai National Championships before switching full-time to MMA.

Mixed martial arts career Xtreme Fighting Championships On December 2, 2011, Moraes fought Chris Manuel at XFC 15, winning via unanimous decision.

On April 13, 2012, Moraes fought Jarrod Card at XFC 17, He won via knock out in 47 seconds of round one.

World Series of Fighting In September 2012, Moraes signed with the World Series of Fighting.

On November 3, 2012, Moraes made his promotional debut against former WEC Bantamweight Champion Miguel Torres at WSOF 1. Moraes defeated Torres via split decision.

Following Moraes's victory over Torres, it was announced that at WSOF 2 Moraes would face Tyson Nam. On March 23, 2013, Moraes defeated Nam via knockout due to a head kick and punches in the first round.

Moraes faced Brandon Hempleman at WSOF 4 on August 10, 2013. Moraes won via unanimous decision.

Moraes fought Carson Beebe at WSOF 6 on October 26, 2013. He won via knockout due to punches in just thirty two seconds of round one.

Moraes fought for the inaugural WSOF Bantamweight Championship against Josh Rettinghouse at WSOF 9. He won via unanimous decision to become the first ever WSOF Bantamweight Champion.

Moraes was scheduled to defend his title against Josh Hill on September 13, 2014, at World Series of Fighting 13. However, Hill was injured and replaced by Cody Bollinger, with the bout being changed to a non-title, catchweight affair. Moraes won the fight via rear-naked choke submission in the second round.

Moraes was once again scheduled to defend his WSOF Bantamweight Championship against Josh Hill. The rescheduled fight took place on February 12, 2015, at WSOF 18 in Edmonton, Alberta. Moraes won via unanimous decision to retain his WSOF Bantamweight Championship.

Moraes faced Sheymon Moraes on August 1, 2015, at WSOF 22. Marlon Moraes won via rear naked choke submission in the third round to retain his WSOF Bantamweight Championship.

On February 20, 2016, Moraes faced Joseph Barajas at WSOF 28. Moraes won via technical knockout due to leg kicks in the first round to retain his WSOF Bantamweight Championship.

On May 10, 2016, it was announced that Moraes will rematch against Josh Hill for the WSOF Bantamweight Championship at WSOF 32 on July 30, 2016, in the main event. Moraes won the fight via knockout in the second round.

Moraes defended his title against Josenaldo Silva at WSOF 34 on December 31, 2016. He won the fight via technical knockout due to Silva receiving a knee injury.

On January 3, 2017, Moraes vacated the WSOF Bantamweight Championship after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Ultimate Fighting Championship In April 2017, it was announced that Moraes had signed with the UFC.

He made his promotional debut against Raphael Assunção at UFC 212 on June 3, 2017. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.

Moraes faced John Dodson on November 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night 120. He won the back-and-forth fight by split decision.

Moraes made a quick return to the Octagon as he stepped in to replace Rani Yahya against Aljamain Sterling at UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega on December 9, 2017. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. The win also earned Moraes his first Performance of the Night bonus award.

After UFC Fight Night 123 in Fresno, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) flagged Moraes for gaining more than 10% of his weight back after weigh-ins. His jump from 135.4 pounds on weigh-in day to 155 pounds on fight day was a difference of 14.5%, well over commission regulations of staying within 10% of the contracted weight. CSAC will not license him for bantamweight bouts “without extensive medical documentation from a licensed physician certifying the weight class is appropriate and verified by CSAC physicians.”

Moraes faced Jimmie Rivera on June 1, 2018, at UFC Fight Night 131. Moraes won the fight via first-round knockout due to a head kick and punches in just 33 seconds, becoming the first fighter to finish Rivera in MMA, and snapping Rivera's 20-fight win streak. This win earned him a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

Moraes faced Raphael Assunção in a rematch on February 2, 2019, in the main event at UFC Fight Night 144. Their first fight ended in a split decision loss for Moraes at UFC 212 on June 3, 2017. Moraes won the rematch in the first round by first dropping Assunção with two punches and then securing a guillotine choke submission. This win earned him the Performance of the Night award.

Moraes faced Henry Cejudo on June 8, 2019, at UFC 238 for the vacant UFC Bantamweight Championship. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round three.

Moraes faced former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo at UFC 245 on December 14, 2019. He won the fight via split decision. 9 out of 18 media outlets scored the bout for both Aldo and Moraes.

Moraes faced Cory Sandhagen on October 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 179. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round two.

Moraes faced Rob Font on December 19, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 183. He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one.

Moraes faced Merab Dvalishvili on September 25, 2021, at UFC 266. Despite knocking Dvalishvili down twice and nearly finishing him in the first round, Moraes ultimately fatigued and lost the fight via second-round TKO.

Moraes faced Song Yadong on March 12, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 203. He lost the bout via punches in round one.

On April 13, 2022, Marlon announced his retirement from MMA via his manager, Ali Abdelaziz. He stated that he wanted to “thank everyone- Sean Shelby, Dana White and the UFC for giving him the opportunity”.

Professional Fighters League Less than 6 months after announcing his retirement, Moraes announced that he would be signing with the PFL for the 2023 Featherweight tournament.

Moraes was scheduled to face Shane Burgos in his PFL debut on November 25, 2022, at PFL 10. However, Burgos withdrew from the bout due to an injury. He was replaced by Sheymon Moraes. He lost the bout in the third round via TKO stoppage.

Moraes started the 2023 season against Brendan Loughnane on April 1, 2023, at PFL 1. He lost the bout in the second round, after a barrage of leg kicks left him unable to continue to fight.

Moraes was scheduled to face Alejandro Flores on June 8, 2023, at PFL 4. After Flores had failed a commission drug test and was pulled from the season, he was replaced by Gabriel Braga. Moraes lost the bout via technical knockout in the first round. He announced his retirement during the post-fight interview.

Retirement and law enforcement career After announcing his retirement on June 8, 2023, after his knockout loss against Gabriel Braga, Moraes transitioned into a career in law enforcement. In May 2024, Moraes was sworn in as a police officer in Davie, Florida.

Global Fight League On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Moraes was signed by Global Fight League.

Moraes was scheduled to come out of retirement to face former UFC Flyweight Championship challenger Ray Borg in the inaugural Global Fight League event on May 24, 2025, at GFL 1. However, all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.

Championships and accomplishments Ultimate Fighting Championship Performance of the Night (Three times) vs. Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera, and Raphael Assunção 2 & Fan's Choice Submission of the Year Nominee UFC.com Awards 2017: Ranked #4 Newcomer of the Year & Ranked #5 Knockout of the Year 2019: Ranked #4 Submission of the Year & Ranked #6 Fight of the Year World Series of Fighting WSOF Bantamweight Championship (One time, first) Most consecutive title defenses (5) Most wins in title bouts (6) Most wins (11) Undefeated (11–0) MMA Junkie 2019 June Fight of the Month vs. Henry Cejudo CBS Sports 2017 #3 Ranked UFC Knockout of the Year

Mixed martial arts record Win

Maximiliano Perez Decision (unanimous) Liga Monstro Combate 2

São Paulo, Brazil Loss

Gabriel Braga TKO (punches) PFL 4 (2023)

Atlanta, Georgia, United States Loss

Brendan Loughnane TKO (leg kicks) PFL 1 (2023)

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Sheymon Moraes TKO (punches) PFL 10 (2022)

New York City, New York, United States Loss

Song Yadong KO (punches) UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Ankalaev

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Merab Dvalishvili TKO (punches) UFC 266

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Rob Font TKO (elbow and punches) UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Neal

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Cory Sandhagen TKO (spinning wheel kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Moraes vs. Sandhagen

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Win

José Aldo Decision (split) UFC 245

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Loss

Henry Cejudo TKO (punches) UFC 238

Chicago, Illinois, United States Win

Raphael Assunção Submission (guillotine choke) UFC Fight Night: Assunção vs. Moraes 2

Fortaleza, Brazil Win

Jimmie Rivera KO (head kick and punches) UFC Fight Night: Rivera vs. Moraes

Utica, New York, United States Win

Aljamain Sterling KO (knee) UFC Fight Night: Swanson vs. Ortega

Fresno, California, United States Win

John Dodson Decision (split) UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis

Norfolk, Virginia, United States Loss

Raphael Assunção Decision (split) UFC 212

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

Josenaldo Silva TKO (knee injury) WSOF 34

New York City, New York, United States Win

Josh Hill KO (head kick and punches) WSOF 32

Everett, Washington, United States Win

Joseph Barajas TKO (leg kicks) WSOF 28

Garden Grove, California, United States Win

Sheymon Moraes Submission (rear-naked choke) WSOF 22

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Josh Hill Decision (unanimous) WSOF 18

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Win

Cody Bollinger Submission (rear-naked choke) WSOF 13

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States Win

Josh Rettinghouse Decision (unanimous) WSOF 9

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Carson Beebe KO (punches) WSOF 6

Coral Gables, Florida, United States Win

Brandon Hempleman Decision (unanimous) WSOF 4

Ontario, California, United States Win

Tyson Nam KO (head kick and punches) WSOF 2

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Win

Miguel Torres Decision (split) WSOF 1

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Win

Jarrod Card KO (punch) XFC 17: Apocalypse

Jackson, Tennessee, United States Win

Chris Manuel Decision (unanimous) XFC 15: Tribute

Tampa, Florida, United States Loss

Deividas Taurosevičius Submission (arm-triangle choke) Ring of Combat 38

Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States Loss

Ralph Acosta Submission (rear-naked choke) World Extreme Fighting 46

Orlando, Florida, United States Win

Ryan Bixler Submission (Americana) RMMA 20: Clash at the Casino

New Orleans, Louisiana, United States Win

Nicolas Joannes Submission (rear-naked choke) Shoot & Sprawl 2

Northamptonshire, England Draw

Sandro China Draw (unanimous) Dojo Combat 1

Juiz de Fora, Brazil Win

André Rouberte TKO (punches) Shooto: Brazil 10

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Loss

Zeilton Rodrigues TKO (punches) Shooto: Brazil 7

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Loss

Alexandre Pinheiro TKO (punches) Shooto: Brazil 6

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Win

José Lucas de Melo TKO (punches) MMA Sports Combat 2

Rio das Ostras, Brazil Win

Bruno Santana Submission (rear-naked choke) Desafio: Brazil Fight Center 2

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Pay-per-view bouts

Muay Thai record