UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes is set to undergo shoulder surgery, vowing to “start over” after losing back-to-back fights.
It wasn’t long ago that Moraes was the No. 1 contender in the UFC bantamweight division. But after losing back-to-back fights by knockout to Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font to end 2020, he’s now fallen all the way down to No. 7 in the UFC. Remember, Moraes was set to fight UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan at one point in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. So the fact that Moraes has now dropped all the way out of the title conversation at 135lbs is downright shocking.
According to Moraes, he has been dealing with an injured right shoulder for quite some time. After losing two straight fights, a third loss could drop Moraes out of the rankings altogether, so when he does return to the Octagon, he wants to do it right. That’s why Moraes is having surgery on his shoulder, and why he vowed to come back better than ever. Speaking to AG Fight, Moraes was open and honest about his current form inside the Octagon, admitting that he needs to make serious changes.
“I’m going to have a little surgery on my right shoulder, something I’ve been carrying for a while. It is taking advantage of this time to recover and return 100%. I believe there will be about eight weeks of recovery. It is time to fix this, have the correct recovery time, and align the head with the body,” Moraes said.
“The soul is the same, I will never say no for any challenge, but now is the time to take a seat and rest from these hard workouts to start over. Start over with a good head and body. Really the idea is to start over, with that spirit of being well to return with everything. (2020) was my first year without victories since I moved to the United States. I was defeated twice, so it’s time to get up. I’ve done this once and I’ll repeat it.”
Moraes (23-8-1) is the former WSOF bantamweight champion. The 32-year-old Brazilian has been in the UFC since 2017, accumulating a 5-4 overall record in the promotion that includes notable wins over Aljamain Sterling, Jose Aldo, Raphael Assuncao, Jimmie Rivera, and John Dodson. He last competed at UFC Vegas 17.
Do you think Marlon Moraes will be able to rebound and make a comeback after undergoing shoulder surgery?