Bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes will have shoulder surgery after losing two fights in 2020.
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Moraes will spend some time on the sidelines before we see him in the Octagon again. Following a frustrating 2020, in which ‘Magic’ suffered two knockout losses, the Brazilian decided to undergo shoulder surgery next Tuesday, in order to have a triumphant return afterwards.
In an interview with Ag Fight, Moraes explained he had a nagging shoulder injury for a while now, and the time off needed to recuperate could be useful to ponder about his next move. The way Moraes predicts it, it should take him about eight weeks before he could start training again.
“I’m having a small shoulder surgery, it’s something I’ve been dealing with for a while now. I’ll take this time to recover and come back 100%. I believe I’ll be out of commission for eight weeks. It’s time to fix it, take the proper time to recover and align my mind and body.”
Because of his current losing skid and the dread of being released by the promotion, Moraes knows he has to make his next outing count. In order to do so, Moraes believes he needs to have an impressive performance in his next fight, so the UFC can remember how valuable to the bantamweight division he really is.
“My soul is the same. I’ll never turn down a challenge, but now is the time to sit down, to rest from these tough training camps and start over. Start over with a healthy body and mind. Starting again is the spirit, so I can come back strong. This was my first year without a win ever since I moved to the United States. I was defeated twice, so it’s time to get back up. I’ve done it once and I’ll do it again.”
“This is a decisive time in my career.” Moraes continued. “I’ve been through a number of situations. It’s now or never, win again to show my worth. Everyone knows what I can bring to the table, but the warning sign is on. It’s always on in the UFC, but after two losses, it’s even more. It’s time to come back strong.”
In 2020, Marlon Moraes (23-8-1) suffered knockout losses to Rob Font and Cory Sandhagen, respectively in December and October. Before that, the 32-year-old scored a narrow split decision win over former featherweight champion Jose Aldo, back in December 2019.