Marlon
Moraes will attempt to snap the first losing streak of his
Ultimate Fighting Championship tenure when he
faces Yadong Song
at UFC Fight Night 203 next month.
His plans were threatened a few weeks ago, however, when he grew
ill en route to Phuket, Thailand for training, an illness that
ended up being COVID. In an exclusive conversation with Sherdog,
Moraes talked about the nightmarish situation of being sick and
under quarantine in another country, the reasons the American Top
Team mainstay was in Thailand in the first place, and whether it
affected his preparations for the Song fight.
You last fought in September of 2021. You’re currently
booked to fight again in March. Around Jan. 12, you revealed that
you were COVID-positive in Thailand. Can you provide an update
since that time?
I caught COVID. I got a bit sick. I was isolated for some time. I
was afraid that I wouldn’t have sufficient time to get ready for my
fight but thankfully, I recovered fast. I’ve been in Thailand for a
few weeks. I’m feeling great right now. I believe that on March 12
I’ll be more ready than ever.
You were required to be isolated by the local authorities.
Where did you stay?
I was placed in a hotel room provided by the hospital. It was a bad
situation. I was isolated. I couldn’t leave my room. Food was only
three meals a day. It was tough at first, since I don’t speak the
language. People didn’t understand what I needed. As days went by,
I got Internet and things started to improve. It was a difficult
period. But, at the same time, it was good since I got to focus on
myself and my objectives at this point of my career. It’s like
people say – we have very little time to live our dream of being a
fighter. In what little time we have, we have to give everything.
When I left the hotel, I realized that this is a difficult game
which requires full dedication at every second – as if it’s the
last second of your life.
As a UFC fighter, you’re believed to be fully vaccinated.
Additionally, around July of 2020, it was reported that you and
your wife had been sick with COVID. Do you think this was the new
variant, Omicron?
I’ve had COVID on three occasions. My latest positive test didn’t
specify if this was the new variant. I still don’t know.
Did any of your training partners also come down with
coronavirus?
I got sick on my flight from the United States to Thailand. It’s
fortunate that I didn’t give it to my wife as before, nor to my
children. In a way, this protected my family.
The Tiger Muay Thai academy is located in Phuket, which is
over 500 miles from the Thai capital [Bangkok]. How far had you
made it?
I was supposed to fly from Bangkok to Phuket on the same day I
arrived in Thailand. But unfortunately, I went straight to the
hospital and missed my second leg.
Did you make it to Phuket?
I was eventually released by the hospital after 12 days. I’ve been
training at Tiger Muay Thai [in Phuket] over the last two weeks.
Thankfully, I managed to accomplish what I had planned. My
objective was to find a new way of training, in a different
atmosphere. I have no wish to abandon my team. I still belong to
American Top Team. I still have my coaches there – Mike
Brown, Anderson Franca, Conan
Silveira and all the others. But I needed this moment to myself
– to be isolated. I love my family very much, but this time I
needed to be fully dedicated and focused on myself. I train, rest,
think about my training, and watch fights. I’m living and breathing
fighting. I’m reinvigorated. I’m much more motivated. I’m confident
that, for this bout, I’ll be more prepared than ever before.
Are the coaches at ATT coordinating your work at
Tiger?
No. I came here [to Phuket] to work with their coaches. I’m looking
to improve my techniques in muay Thai. I have several great
sparring partners. I’m sharpening my kicks. I know that they’ll be
very important in this fight. I’m feeling very confident. I’m
learning a lot every day. It’s been great.
Did you need to reach out to the UFC to deal with your
hospital bills?
There was no need. My travel insurance covered all my treatment
costs.
You’re ranked as the No. 10 bantamweight contender in the
UFC. You do find yourself in a unique situation of having lost
three in a row. At the same time, not long ago, you defeated former
[featherweight] champion Jose Aldo. And
you’re the only fighter to have knocked out the current champion,
Aljamain
Sterling. You’re a valued commodity in the UFC. Does getting
back to the win column give you extra pressure to fight this
March?
Every fight in the UFC is its own challenge. I’ve never asked for
easy fights, nor have I picked my opponents. I’ve always said yes
to any offer. Yadong Song
has been doing very well. He’s very strong. I believe the UFC has a
lot of faith in him. This is a highly important fight for me. I bet
on myself. This is the wrong fight for him. He’ll be very
surprised. I’m highly motivated. I expect to put on a great show on
March 12. I’ll be tearing down barriers and showing everyone why I
belong here. I’m confident I’ll be back on top very soon. I’ll
beat, one, two, or three of these ranked guys. I’ll show everyone
that I’m the one who’s in control in any situation. With my talent
and willpower, I will get there.
How do you see yourself winning?
It depends. He’s a young guy. He’s very dedicated to the sport. I
expect he’ll be very ready. If he is ready, we’ll have a great
battle. If he isn’t ready, he won’t last very long.
When do you expect to go back to your coaches at American
Top Team?
I plan to return to my team before the fight, to put everything
together. I’ll do final preparations with my trainers, so I can
have an excellent performance.
When are you leaving Thailand?
I don’t have an exact date, but it will be soon. I want to have
enough time to readjust to the time zone difference. Soon I’ll be
back, more ready than ever.
Anything else you’d like to share?
It’s time to get back to the top.