Having found herself back in the win column, Maryna Moroz thinks Paige VanZant would be a good option for her next fight.
Philadelphia, PA — Maryna Moroz was tasked with welcoming ‘The Colombian Queen’ Sabina Mazo to the octagon Saturday night at the Wells Fargo Arena in Philly. UFC Philadelphia was the debut for the much-hyped Mazo, who was 6-0 heading into the evening. A couple of head kick knockouts earlier in her career had thrust the LFA fighter into the spotlight. Yet it was Moroz snapping a two-fight skid with a unanimous decision victory over the newcomer Saturday. She improved to 9-3 with the win.
The bout was the second in on the card, properly UFC on ESPN 2. It also marked Moroz moving up to flyweight for the first time in the UFC. “It was easy for me. Now, I have more energy, I feel more strong,” she told reporters, including Cageside Press, about the new, easier weight-cut post-fight.
Despite being paired up with such a young fighter (Mazo is just 22), Maryna Moroz never allowed herself to see age. “She’s young, but she’s strong,” Moroz said. “She’s a strong girl. She’s a fighter. She had six wins, she’d never lost. I don’t see how old. I see technique, and learning.” Most importantly, Moroz added, she stuck to her game plan.
Coming into the bout, the talk was all about Mazo, and her resume of head kicks. Asked by Cageside Press whether she felt overlooked, Moroz indicated she understood the situation. “I see she’s [got] good kicks, but we work a lot with my coach. We know she wants a high kick, and I work a lot on defense. I know she’s not good [at] wrestling. And I tried takedowns.” In other words, the hype might be understandable, but the chinks in the armor were there.
On playing spoiler, Moroz said she enjoyed it, but then added, “I enjoy everything.” There’s really nothing about Moroz that would suggest a mean bone in her body, but she was certainly methodical on Saturday night at UFC Philadelphia.
Moroz did have a name she’d like for her next fight. First she wants some rest after months of preparing for Mazo. She likes the idea of fighting every three months. “It’s a new for me division, 125.” She’d like someone still new to the weight class, still learning. Or, one bigger name.
“Maybe Paige VanZant. She has [popularity]. She’s a good fighter, she win, I win.”
Watch the full UFC Philadelphia post-fight press scrum with Maryna Moroz above.
