LAS VEGAS – Marlon Moraes sees the Petr Yan fight as an opportunity to climb back to contention.
Moraes (23-6-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) headlines UFC Kazakhstan on June 13 against the surging Yan (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).
At a Dominance MMA media day this past Saturday in Las Vegas, Moraes, who’s coming off a split decision win over Jose Aldo, sai he’s been impressed with Yan’s recent performances.
“He’s doing great – he’s finishing fights, he’s beating good fighters,” Moraes said. “So let’s put me against him and see how he does and how I do. I’ve got to be myself. I’ve got to be smart, and I’ve got to use all my tools to go there and be on top of the game and beat this guy.”
Since joining the UFC roster, the former WSOF bantamweight champion has been taking on the division’s best. He went on a tear with four straight wins, which included three straight first-round finishes and performance bonuses over Aljamain Sterling, Jimmie Rivera and Raphael Assuncao. That led to a UFC bantamweight title shot.
Although Moraes fell short in his title pursuit against Henry Cejudo, he was able to bounce back by spoiling Aldo’s 135-pound debut. But Aldo ended up getting a bantamweight title shot against Cejudo, anyway, despite the loss.
Having faced both Cejudo and Aldo, Moraes is leaning toward Cejudo in their UFC 250 title fight – but he isn’t counting Aldo out.
“I think Henry’s got the edge in the whole fight, but Aldo’s got his chance,” Moraes said. “He’s got his shots, and we’ll see how that plays out. If Aldo wins, it’s good for me. If Henry wins, it’s good for me. I just have to keep winning to get back there.”
