Marlon Moraes Now Feels ‘At Home’ in UFC, Wants Bantamweight Title Shot Next

As a World Series of Fighting titlist riding a 13-fight winning streak, Marlon Moraes entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship with a considerable amount of hype behind him.

The excitement fizzled somewhat with his first two appearances — a split decision loss to Raphael Assuncao and a split decision win over John Dodson. Both outcomes could have gone either way, but neither was a star-making performance.

But it took Moraes a little while to get comfortable in his new home. Now that he’s settling in, the rest of the bantamweight division should take notice. The 30-year-old Rio de Janeiro native began to warm up with a 67-second knockout of Aljamain Sterling at UFC Fight Night 123 this past December. And on Friday night, “Magic” was in peak form, ending the 20-fight winning streak of Jimmie Rivera with a head kick and follow-up punches just 33 seconds into the opening stanza in the UFC Fight Night 131 headliner.

“Man, that was good. That was one of my best fights,” Moraes said on Fox Sports 1. “I believe it was because of how I was looking in training. What I was doing to guys and how confident I was. I got in the UFC, I fought a tough opponent. I kept getting more comfortable. This fight I felt at home. Jimmie Rivera wasn’t an easy opponent. Everybody knows him, 10 years undefeated, 20 victories in a row. He beat a lot of good guys. But tonight was my night.

“Now I’m ready for my next step, and my next step is to fight for the UFC bantamweight belt.”

Even when Moraes faltered slightly against Assuncao in his Octagon debut, his confidence never wavered. He and his team still believed he was one of the top 135-pound talents in the world. They knew he belonged.

“Me and my team, we always knew it. We knew I could get there, and I could do my job,” Moraes said. “And man, I’ve always been a UFC fighter. I always knew how good I was. Now I’m here, I’m putting on shows. I can’t wait to get back in there. I want to fight for the title. That’s it.”

T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt will square off in a bantamweight title rematch at UFC 227 on Aug. 4. Moraes has established himself as one of the top contenders in the division, but there are other scenarios that could keep him waiting, such as a trilogy bout between Dillashaw and Garbrandt. Former champion Dominick Cruz, who is still ranked ahead of Moraes, also looms large. Moraes plans on being prepared for any possible outcome — as long as that outcome involves him fighting for UFC gold. After a short night’s work against Rivera, Moraes is ready to make a quick turnaround if necessary.

“You guys watched the fight? How long was it?… I’m healthy and I’m going to go back to the gym and work,” Moraes said. “If anybody gets hurt, I’m gonna be ready. I’m just saying. I want to fight for the belt. I’m ready and that’s it.”

While he clearly has bigger goals on his mind, Moraes was able to savor the moment of earning a victory in his first UFC main event. If he keeps it up, there should be many more in his future.

“That was unbelievable. In some moments, I kept thinking, ‘That’s me, I’m the main event. The UFC.’ I was 12 or 13, I was renting DVDs, tapes to watch the UFC. Now I’m the main event, and I won by knockout. That’s a dream come true.”