Marlon Moraes on WSOF 4 Hempleman matchup: “I’m going to be ready for any situation”

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Category: WSOF News

Published on Sunday, 28 July 2013 04:40

Written by Darren Barcomb

MMA DIRT’s Darren Barcomb tracked down surging bantamweight Marlon Moraes as he readies himself for his August 10^th matchup with Brandon Hempleman at World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 4. The 25 year old Moraes (10-4-1) is riding high since signing with the fledgling WSOF, having outpointed former WEC champ Miguel Torres by split decision at WSOF 1 in November of 2012, and destroying Tyson Nam via a 1^st round head kick KO at WSOF 2 in March of 2013.

With two WSOF victories on his resume and four straight overall victories, Moraes is poised for big things and is a favorite to battle for the first ever WSOF bantamweight title in the near future. Standing in the way at this time though is a roadblock in the form of Brandon “Hot Rod” Hempleman (9-1), who will be making his WSOF debut.        

WSOF 4 will rock the Citizen’s Bank Arena in Ontario California on August 10th and Moraes vs. Hempleman will grace a star-studded lineup that includes Tyrone Spong (1-0) vs. Angel DeAnda (11-2), Ray Sefo (2-1) vs. Dave Huckaba (20-5), Gesias Cavalcante (17-7-1) vs. Tyson Griffin (16-6), and Nick Newell (9-0) vs. Keon Caldwell (9-1), as well as five exciting undercard bouts.

The Brazilian born Moraes, who fights out of Florida, chatted with Barcomb about his training, WSOF 4 matchup, and thoughts on the sport. As for his extensive preparation for fight night, Moraes has been working out with some big names in the sport, stating, “In Florida, I train at Valor MMA with Edson Barboza. When I have a fight, I go to New Jersey to train with guys like Ricardo Almedia and Frankie Edgar.” The experience is paying off as Moraes’ skills and confidence continue to grow each day.

As for his bout with Hempleman, Moraes isn’t taking anything for granted and knows that a win streak can be snapped on any given night.  He is geared up to give a great performance though and stated that “Hempleman is a tough guy, a good fighter. I can expect anything from him.” Further, he reiterated that he will be ready come fight night, adding “I can do everything. I’m ready to fight on the ground, standing, wherever the fight goes. I’m going to be ready for any situation."

While the WSOF hasn’t announced its plans for the bantamweight title just yet, another victory from Moraes will put him right in the thick of things. He couldn’t be happier with his situation and is grateful for the opportunity he’s gotten from the WSOF.  A thankful Moraes said, “They (WSOF) are doing everything right with me. Setting up great fights for me, great opportunities, and I’m so happy to be working for them. It’s a great show and I’m glad to be part of it. It’s exciting for me to be fighting with them.  Guys like Ray (Sefo) are in the sport because they love it.

Watch out for fireworks on August 10^th on the NBC Fight Network as Marlon Moraes tries to win his third straight with the promotion and establish himself as the top bantamweight in the WSOF. In closing Moraes wanted to give a shout out to all his worldwide fans, family, training partners, sponsors, and coaches.