CHICAGO – It was a case of what might have been for Brazilian Marlon Moraes after he was finished by Henry Cejudo in their battle for the vacant UFC bantamweight title at UFC 238.
Moraes (22-6-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC) actually started the better of the two, and appeared to clearly win the opening round. But Cejudo (15-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) made some crucial adjustments in his corner between rounds and turned the tables on the Brazilian before eventually finishing him with ground strikes with just nine seconds remaining in the third round.
Speaking to the media at the post-fight news conference, a disappointed Moraes suggested his defeat was partly self-inflicted. He admitted abandoning the game plan he and his team had formulated going into the fight.
“I just messed up,” he said. “I got out of the game plan, and that’s what happened. I just did what I shouldn’t do.”
After a strong opening round, Moraes faced a different Cejudo in the second stanza. The flyweight champion looked to step inside the Brazilian’s kicks and trade at close range.
Moraes obliged and seemingly was happy to stand and trade at close quarters, but the momentum of the fight shifted as Cejudo started to find success; first with his boxing, then with his muay Thai clinch as he connected with a succession of punishing knees.
Moraes said his decision to plant his feet and load up on his shots was the start of his downfall.
“In the fight, he hit me, I hit him back, and we started to brawl a little bit,” he said. “That was one of the biggest things on the game plan from my coaches – don’t brawl, you’re faster. Just throw the combinations and don’t overload the punches.
“(But) that’s what I did, and I paid for it.”
Despite being stopped so close to the horn, Moraes said he had no issue with referee Marc Goddard’s decision to wave off the contest, though he did suggest his inability to defend himself was a result of sheer exhaustion rather than being badly hurt.
“Man, I couldn’t defend myself well, but I think I was just tired,” he said. “(Goddard) took care of me. I think (after) a couple more seconds, I could get back for the fourth round. But it was my fault. I have nothing (bad) to say about the referee.”
And, after seeing his four-fight winning streak halted by Cejudo, Moraes said he had only one option moving forward.
“I’ve got to go back and train. That’s all I have,” he said. “If I don’t do that, what am I gonna do? I want to get back in the cage again, in the octagon, and I want to leave everything I have inside there.”
For complete coverage of UFC 238, check out the UFC Events section of the site.
