John Moraga's UFC on FOX 8 fight with champ: 'Battle with my own impatience'

(This story appeared in today’s edition of USA TODAY.)

When it comes to his name recognition among MMA fans, John Moraga isn’t kidding himself.

The flyweight has fought twice in the UFC, finishing his opponents inside the distance both times, but “only the hardcore fans really know who I am or have seen me fight,” Moraga told USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Maybe that’s because Moraga (13-1 MMA, 2-0 UFC), a two-time All-America wrestler at Arizona State, has yet to appear on the main card of a UFC event. Instead he’s been relegated to the prelims, kicking off the show in the middle of the afternoon, when most fight fans are more concerned with gathering snacks for that evening’s festivities than they are with one no-name undercard fighter facing another on the UFC’s Facebook stream.

Moraga also is a member of the UFC’s smallest weight class, which has had trouble gaining traction with fans. Moraga thinks it has a lot to do with the fighting style of the UFC’s 125-pound champ, Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC), whom Moraga faces in the main event of UFC on Fox 8 at KeyArena in Seattle on Saturday (8 p.m. ET, Fox).

“I think he’s boring,” Moraga said of the champion. “His game is to get people chasing him. I kind of understand it, but he just runs way too much. When people try to create an exchange with him, he’s OK with just getting out of the way the whole time. When he does go in for an attack, it’s not like he goes in there and tries to devastate them. He goes in, tries to get a few little point punches, then gets out.”

That strategy has worked well for Johnson, who became the UFC’s first 125-pound champion with a split-decision win against Joseph Benavidez in September. But his title reign has yet to electrify the UFC fan base, and Moraga sees it as part of the reason flyweight contenders, including himself, have struggled to get noticed.

“As flyweights, we’re quick, so I understand why there’s a little more bouncing around,” Moraga said. “But then you have fighters like Demetrious who are in the spotlight already and they’re putting on fights like that. They’re not really putting on fights that fight fans want to see.”

Moraga’s challenge is to find a way to force Johnson into an exciting fight without spending all night chasing him around the cage. That will make this title bout a “battle with my own impatience,” Moraga said.

He also also might battle nerves. Going from the first fight of the night to the main event is about as sudden and significant a leap as any UFC fighter can make. Where once he looked out and saw empty seats, Moraga will face a packed arena and a champ who’s been there before, not that he expects that to make a difference.

“Mentally, you can’t shake me,” Moraga said. “I grew up in west Phoenix, so I don’t get scared.”

For the latest on UFC on FOX 8, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.