Marlon Moraes reflects on how big Jose Aldo looked at UFC 245, wants Dominick Cruz or Aljamain Sterling next.
Las Vegas, NV — So much was made of former featherweight champion Jose Aldo’s weight cut ahead of UFC 245 that you almost forgot he had a fight against Marlon Moraes. Aldo was dropping to bantamweight for the first time, and the focus was entirely on whether the longtime 145lb’er could shed the extra ten pounds.
He did. Most honest observers, mind you, will acknowledge he didn’t look great at the scales. Fight night however was a different story, Moraes (23-6-1) told reporters backstage at the T-Mobile Arena during the post-fight press conference.
“He must have spent all night drinking water. He looked big,” said Moraes, who didn’t side one way or the other when asked if Aldo has a future at bantamweight. At the very least, Aldo seems to have re-hydrated well.
Moraes, who defeated Aldo in a controversial split decision at the event, spent most of the night fending off questions about whether he was the beneficiary of a robbery by the judges.
“I was very confident that I could beat him,” Moraes said about Aldo. On the fight itself, “I think I won the first round, the second round I think he got it. The third round, I think I got it. It was a close fight,” he explained. “I just fought Jose Aldo, you know? A lot of people judge, say ‘oh man it’s a tough fight, close fight.'”
“Who beat Jose in a split decision? Who did that, you know? He only lost to five, six guys his whole career,” Moraes continued. “He was the longest [reigning] featherweight champion. He beat all champions, contenders. Hat’s off to him. But now’s my time. And that’s it.”
The third round was the sticking point for many. Addressing the final five minutes, the former WSOF bantamweight champion offered that “I think I outscored him. He only landed one punch, and he cut me, but besides that, I didn’t feel anything.”
“Hat’s off to him to take the challenge, make weight. We put on a great fight, I think the fans like it,” Moraes added. “It was a great fight. Some people don’t agree with the decision, but at the end of the day, you go home, you watch the fight again, and you’ll see I won.”
Whether or not he sways opinions remains to be seen. But Marlon Moraes is already looking ahead, and he has a pair of names in mind. “I’d like to fight either Dominick Cruz or [Aljamain] Sterling. I don’t like Sterling at all, and I would love to take his chance to ever fight for the title. That’s the two names I have on my mind right now.”
Watch the full UFC 245 post-fight press conference with Marlon Moraes above!
