Marlon Moraes’ UFC debut did not go according to plan. The former WSOF bantamweight champion dropped a split decision to Raphael Assuncao at UFC 212 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Truth be told, it wasn’t an action-filled fight, with neither man convincingly stating their case for winning either of the first two rounds. Assuncao hurt Moraes early in round 3 with a hard right hand, but Moraes appeared to have control of the remainder of the final frame. However, according to the three judges at cageside, they all saw the final round in Assuncao’s favor.