Despite Recent Skid, Marlon Moraes Not Eyeing Retirement: 'I Know It’s Not the Time'

Marlon Moraes enters PFL 4 on a six-bout losing streak in which he has been finished by knockout or technical knockout in all of those defeats.

Despite those struggles, Moraes doesn’t feel any added pressure as he prepares to face Gabriel Braga on Thursday at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta.

“Every fight is pressure,” Moraes said during PFL 4 media day. “You always want to win and you always want to finish. I don’t see any difference. Every fight is pressure.”

Moraes established himself as one of the top bantamweights in the world from 2012 to 2019, when he won 16 of 18 bouts while reigning as World Series of Fighting champion and challenging for UFC gold. His recent losing streak has been tough mentally, but Moraes knows that it comes with the territory of his chosen career.

“It’s the other side,” Moraes said. “I’ve been on both sides. It’s not easy to deal with. But that’s what I chose for my life, to be a fighter.

“I’m not in a good time. The results are not coming, but I always believe the next one I’m going to put on a great performance and I’m gonna win.”

While some are calling for Moraes to retire — especially given the nature of his losses — the Brazilian is adamant that he isn’t ready to walk away.

“It’s not the time. I know it’s not. That’s not the way I want to leave the sport,” Moraes said. “I signed with the PFL with a mission. I want to put on great fights, fights that people are going to be talking about. I don’t want to leave this way.”

As it currently stands, Moraes doesn’t have a timeline for when he wants to call it a career. He does know that he wants to go out on a positive note when the time does come.

“It’s hard to predict the time, but I definitely want to leave on good terms, you know, winning,” he said.

“I’ve got to hit that switch and just have a different mentality. The mentality that I did it and think about that next step. I’m still in the game, I’m prepared and I’m ready to get that win.”