“I think T.J. got what you need to beat Henry. I think it was a fluke, it was just a matter (of) day.”
With just a little less than a week to go until Marlon Moraes’ bantamweight title bout against reigning flyweight king Henry Cejudo at UFC 238, ‘Magic’ is trying to get under Cejudo’s skin.
Speaking to MMA Junkie in a recent interview, Moraes, who is on an impressive four-fight win streak, called Cejudo’s shocking KO win over former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw a fluke.
“We all got holes and matchups make champions and I think Henry Cejudo is a great matchup for me,” Moraes said. “I’m very confident in all I see him doing in the cage. Of course, he beat a legend, Demetrious Johnson. He beat, in my opinion, another guy that can be a legend in the future – T.J. Dillashaw, he’s a great martial artist.
“But we didn’t get to see much his last fight. I think T.J. got what you need to beat Henry. I think it was a fluke, it was just a matter (of) day. That was Henry’s day. But I worked hard. I’m well prepared for this fight. And I don’t want no flukes. I’m going out there. Perform, perform well and win. And leave no doubt who’s the best 135-pounder now.”
Moraes’ knockout of Dillashaw was a shock to many MMA fans, but the word ‘fluke’ was seldom used. Moraes caught, and dropped, Dillashaw several times before referee Kevin MacDonald was forced to intervene and wave off the fight.
UFC 238, which features Cejudo vs. Moraes as in the main event, takes place this Saturday, June 8 at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.