Marlon Moraes narrowly edged out a close fight with Jose Aldo by split decision tonight at UFC 245.
Round One:
Moraes with a head kick early and for a moment he looked to have rocked Aldo, but he realizes the former featherweight champion still has his wits about him and doesn’t go all out for a finish just yet.
However, Moraes does go to that head kick again and its still dangerous and he lands a punch too. He tries it a third time and this time aldo blocks it.
Aldo lands a big punch and that helps him get respect from Moraes after that troubling start.
Aldo pressing the action from the center of the cage now. Solid leg kick for Moraes and then he lunges into a punch.
Another left hand for Moraes. Aldo still pressuring. Right and a left from Moraes, but it’s blocked by Aldo.
Spinning attack from Moraes, but it doesn’t quite find the mark. Moraes looking fast though. He lands a hard leg kick and then a punch.
Aldo still coming forward though. Body punch from Moraes. Right hand gets through from Aldo. he lands a body punch too.
Another right hand for Aldo as he starts to get a real taste for this fight and turns up the pace significantly. Straight right again from Aldo and he’s pouring on the pressure here, but then Moraes manages to land a slick takedown to take the wind out of that attack and survives until the end of the round.
Round two:
Jabs for Moraes and then a head kick attempt is blocked. Leg kick for Aldo. Now a leg kick for Moraes.
Aldo sticks out the right hand. Moraes looking a little more hesitant in thhis round, but he could still explode at any moment. He lands a jab. Aldo coming forward though. Short flurry to the body from Moraes.
Kick from Moraes is blocked. Two body punches for Aldo. Right hand for Aldo. Punishing body punch from Aldo. Uppercut for Moraes.
Jab for Aldo. left hand for Moraes. Three-piece combo from Aldo and that definitely hurt. Another big punch from Aldo, but then Moraes connects with a big punch of his own to show he’s still in this fight. He tries for a kick that doesn’t land.
Body punch from Aldo. Spinning wheel kick attempt from Moraes and then a jab. Final minute of the round and Aldo actually still looks fresh despite concerns about his weight cut pre-fight.
Aldo pressuring with punches again. Now a jumping knee attempt. Left hand for Moraes. Aldo lands a big uppercut.
Moraes has a slight haematoma to his left eye. Jabs for Aldo. Moraes lands one of his own to end the round.
Round Three:
Nice right hand for Aldo. A left lands too. Good double jab from Moraes. Still constant pressure from Aldo and still looking energized.
Right hand for Aldo. Left for Moraes and a right too. Another double jab from him. Constant movement on the outside from Moraes as Aldo stalks him.
Nice left hand for Moraes. Glancing jab for Aldo. He launches into a flying knee, but doesn’t connect. One-two for Moraes.
Jab and then a solid right hand for Aldo. Hard right connects for Moraes. Spinning kick to the body from him. Now a hard leg kick for Moraes. A left hand scores too.
Moraes threatens with a takedown attempt but then comes back upstairs with a couple of punches instead. Kick for Moraes. Aldo pressures with strikes of his own. One final spinning kick from Moraes upstairs is blocked. We’re headed to the scorecards.
Decision:
Close fight then with Moraes starting strongly, but then Aldo finding his groove and showing that the weight cut was not an issue for him with constant pressure, only for ‘Magic’ to do some good work in the final round that leaves the judges with an interesting decision to make.
The veredict is in and it’s a split decision…and it’s in Marlon Moraes’ favour! Big win for him and Aldo is left disappointed, feeling he had done enough to win.
