At this time last year, John Moraga was close to done.
The one-time flyweight title challenger was caught in the midst of a career-worst slump, disillusioned after a grim series of injuries and personal issues, and effectively had one foot out the door. Ahead of his short-notice loss to Sergio Pettis at UFC Phoenix — which served as Moraga’s third consecutive loss under the UFC umbrella — the 33-year-old admitted that if the promotion cut him loose, he would probably walk away from mixed martial arts for good. In an unforgiving game, Moraga had been chewed up and spit out without remorse.