Marlon Moraes Face Plants Aljamain Sterling with Highlight Reel Knockout
Marlon Moraes picked up his second win in the UFC less than a month after getting his first but this time he added a highlight to his resume with a jaw-dropping knockout against Aljamain Sterling.
Moraes asked for the fight with Sterling after defeating John Dodson in November as the former World Series of Fighting champion wanted to stay busy and it certainly paid off.
Moraes was very aggressive in the early going, looking to overwhelm Sterling with a barrage of punches as he got in the New York native’s face almost as soon as the referee released them from their corners.
The fast paced output paid off when Moraes uncorked a kick that turned into a knee strike just as Sterling ducked his head and a second later he was laying face first on the canvas.
KNEE GAME PROPER! Marlon Moraes with the absurd KO knee on Aljamain Sterling! #UFCFresno https://t.co/Wn9Q0ul7fz
— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) December 10, 2017
The end came at just 1:07 into the opening round.
Sterling laid on the ground for several moments after the knockout as medical personnel checked him out before he finally exited the Octagon.
As for Moraes, he’s now picked up two wins over top 15 fighters in just a matter of weeks as he continues his climb up the bantamweight rankings. Moraes was expected to be a contender for the 135-pound title when the UFC signed him as a free agent earlier this year and he’s definitely paying off so far.
“I think I starting to like it here,” Moraes said following the win. “I’m going to gives some trouble for the 135 [pounders].”