Marlon Moraes has fought the best in the world in multiple organizations, and with so much experience under his belt, he’s not about to pick a toughest opponent from his career.
Speaking during Tuesday’s 2023 PFL 4 media day, the former UFC bantamweight title challenger and WSOF champ, now fighting in the PFL’s featherweight division, noted that “until you get to exchange blows inside the octagon, you don’t know how hard they hit, how fast they are. I respect everyone, and I think every opponent was hard.”
Hard is what lies in front of him, at least in the eyes of those watching. Moraes was stopped in his first fight of the 2023 season, and needs a finish — early, most likely — to continue on in the season. Making the playoffs in the Professional Fighters League requires points, and points require finishes.
It seems like “Magic” Marlon Moraes is ready for that. He’ll be coming out aggressive, as always. “That’s my style, that’s how I fight, and let’s go, let’s see what happens,” he exclaimed. “But that’s what I do, that’s how I fight.”
The pressure is there, but that comes with the territory it seems. “Every fight is pressure. You always want to win, and you always want to finish. A fighter like me, I like to finish fights, and I don’t see any different. Every fight is pressure, but that’s my way, that’s how I fight, I’m aggressive. That’s how I fight, and I’m definitely going to put on a show.”
Moraes will face off with Gabriel Braga at PFL 4, an undefeated Brazilian who Moraes would go on to call a very good striker. “He’s a tough opponent, aggressive fighter just like myself,” observed Moraes. “And that’s great to guarantee that we’re not going to have a boring fight.”
Despite his recent struggles, Moraes isn’t ready to contemplate retirement just yet. Admitting that it’s hard to predict when he’ll hang up the gloves, Moraes explained that it simply isn’t time yet.
“It’s not the time, and I know it’s not. That’s not the way I want to leave the sport, and that’s not the way I want to leave the PFL. I signed with the PFL with a mission, I want to put on performances, that’s why I’m here. Put on great fights, fights that people are going to be talking about. And that’s not how I want to go. The day I do that and I see myself fighting, that’s going to be when I want to leave. I don’t want to leave this way.”
Watch the full 2023 PFL 4 media day appearance by Marlon Moraes above.
