Brendan Loughnane is the reigning PFL Featherweight champion who starts his title defense with a fight against a fighter who lost each of his last five fights. Maybe it’s time for Marlon Moraes to end his losing streak.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes Odds
| Moneyline | Odds |
|---|---|
| Brendan Loughnane | -650 |
| Marlon Moraes | +475 |
When, Where, and How to Watch?
- Place: The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, Nevada
- Date: Saturday, April 1, 2023
- Time: ~10:00 PM ET
- How to Watch: ESPN
Brendan Loughnane Set to Become a True PFL Legend
Born and raised in Manchester, England, Brendan Loughnane started his professional MMA career in 2010. After fighting in a number of events organized by local promotions, he got a chance to win a UFC contract in 2019. Although he did defeat Bill Algeo in Dana White’s Contender Series 17, he did not get a deal from the organization.
His performances weren’t impressive enough for Dana White, but the people from PFL liked what they saw. He made his promotional debut in 2019 and went on to win eight of the following nine PFL fights. The only fight he’s lost so far in this promotion was the one against Movlid Khaybulaev in the summer of 2021 when we saw the Russian fighter win by a split decision.
He bounced back straight away, winning the next four fights. One of those was the fight for the PFL Featherweight title last year, which earned him $1 million.
Is It Too Late for Marlon Moraes’ Resurrection?
Only a few years ago, Marlon Moraes was thought to be one of the finest UFC fighters. After winning the Performance of the Night bonus in three straight fights, Magic was given a shot at the title against Henry Cejudo. Even though Moraes was dominating the two rounds, Cejudo beat him by TKO (punches) in round 3, just nine seconds before the bell.
He bounced back with a split-decision win over Jose Aldo. Some MMA fans believe it could’ve gone either way, but Moraes was impressive in that fight. But then, he entered a losing streak that he’s desperate to get out of.
After beating Aldo, he lost the next five fights, each time by KO/TKO. The fighters who beat him are, namely, Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font, Merab Dvalishvili, Song Yadong, and Shamon Moraes. The final of those losses happened last September in the PFL against a fighter who was 3-3 before that.
After getting so much beating, people wonder if Marlon Moraes can bounce back. He looks like someone who can get KO-ed easily, but the fact is that he’s still relatively young. At the age of 34, Moraes still has plenty of time to resurrect his career. Perhaps he won’t become a champ, but we don’t think he’s gonna turn into a journeyman that everyone beats.
Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes Prediction
Moreas’ confidence is probably very low, but this guy sure has the skillset necessary to end his disastrous run. Unfortunately for him, Loughnane is the kind of fighter he’s been struggling against. The Englishman is a great striker with amazing stamina.
Knowing all this, we think Moraes is in trouble. Although he probably won’t get humiliated on Saturday, we just can’t see him surviving the whole five rounds. Instead, we think Loughnane will beat him by KO/TKO in the second half of the fight.
Pick: Brendan Loughnane to win by KO/TKO; over 2.5 rounds