Marlon Moraes – Syndication Server

2023 MMA retirement tracker: A list of former UFC champions, legends and more who hung up the gloves

The MMA world already has said goodbye to many retiring fighters in 2023, from former UFC champions to icons of the sport.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently, fighters from the era who helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves in order to move on to the next chapter in life.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete, and perhaps more importantly get a payday, will continue to drive fighters back even well beyond their expiration dates.

2023 has seen an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are done with the sport, and we have a list of those who have opted to walk away this year (the list will update as new retirements are announced).

2023 PFL 4 fighter pay: Bubba Jenkins, Movlid Khaybulaev top list with six figures

Check out the disclosed 2023 PFL 4 fighter pays released by the state of Georgia.

PFL returned to Atlanta this past Thursday for the first of three shows in consecutive weeks at Overtime Elite Arena.

2023 PFL 4 featured final regular season bouts at light heavyweight and featherweight, as well as a pair of showcase fights. The event saw a shocking main event result when former UFC fighter [autotag]Jesus Pinedo[/autotag] knocked out 2022 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] with a brutal knee and punches in Round 1.

Also on the card, 2021 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] defeated former UFC fighter [autotag]Tyler Diamond[/autotag], and former UFC bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] retired after a knockout loss to [autotag]Gabriel Braga[/autotag].

MMA Junkie acquired a list of the 22 athletes’ disclosed payouts from the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission. The amounts do not include bonuses, sponsorships, or any other discretionary payments.

Two fighters, 2022 PFL featherweight runner-up [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] and Khaybulaev, topped the list at $100,000 and were the only two athletes on the card with disclosed six-figure payouts.

Scroll below to see the disclosed pay for each 2023 PFL 4 fighter.

Gabriel Braga def. Marlon Moraes at 2023 PFL 4: Best photos

Check out these photos from Gabriel Braga’s victory over Marlon Moraes at 2023 PFL 4 in Atlanta.

Check out these photos from Gabriel Braga’s victory over Marlon Moraes at 2023 PFL 4 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta. (Photos courtesy of Cooper Neill, PFL MMA)

2023 PFL 4 video: Gabriel Braga sends Marlon Moraes into retirement with crushing first-round knockout

Gabriel Braga landed a crushing right hand to knock out Marlon Moraes, who announced his retirement at 2023 PFL 4.

[autotag]Gabriel Braga[/autotag] remained undefeated while sending former UFC title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] into retirement.

In the final preliminary bout of 2023 PFL 4 at Overtime Elite Arena in Atlanta, Braga (11-0) made quick work of Moraes (23-13-1) by landing a crushing right hand. The punch came moments after a sharp combination wobbled Moraes, and the featherweight fight was over officially at 3:02 of the first round.

Check out video of the finish below (via Twitter):

From Challenger Series to the 2023 #PFLPlayoffs!

We will see you in San Antonio Gabriel Braga!#PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/piD8M6pUkV

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 9, 2023

Braga’s first-round finish was worth six points in the featherweight standings. After a split decision win over Jesus Pinedo in April, Braga currently holds first place in the division with nine points, although his standing may change by the completion of the event.

On the other side, Moraes decided to call it a career after his seventh straight loss.

“I wish I had better performances here, but guys, I gave it all my heart,” Moraes said during his post-fight interview in the cage. “I trained hard. I can look myself in the mirror every day and be proud of myself. … I can’t be sad today. Man, I’m happy. I have a beautiful wife, two kids. I’m a happy man, you know?”

Dang, who is cutting onions in the arena. 😭😭 Thank You Marlon! #PFLRegularSeason LIVE NOW
🇺🇸 ESPN+
🌎 https://t.co/jPNvomD5xg pic.twitter.com/TwNpeaJ2Bt

— PFL (@PFLMMA) June 9, 2023

“Magic” earned a shot at the vacant UFC bantamweight title at UFC 239 on June 8, 2019, but lost in the third round to Henry Cejudo. The final victory of Moraes’ career came in a split decision win over former UFC champion Jose Aldo at UFC 245 in December 2019.

Moraes began his professional career in 2007. Throughout his 37-fight career, he competed under the World Series of Fighting, UFC, and PFL banners. He became WSOF bantamweight champion in 2014 by defeating Josh Rettinghouse, a title he held until his UFC debut in 2017.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 4.

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UFC veterans in MMA action June 8-10

Check out which veterans of the UFC are in combat sports action across the globe this weekend.

This week, the UFC is back on pay-per-view for UFC 289 in Vancouver, Canada.

The event features a women’s bantamweight championship fight between two-division champion Amanda Nunes and first-time title challenger Irene Aldana.

Elsewhere, many other combat sports events are taking place that feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This week, there are a total of 13 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA this week from June 8-10.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.

Brendan Loughnane def. Marlon Moraes at 2023 PFL 1: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Brendan Loughnane’s second-round TKO win over Marlon Moraes at 2023 PFL 1 in Las Vegas.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag]’s second-round TKO win over [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] at PFL 2023, Week 1 at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. (Photos courtesy of PFL)

2023 PFL 1 ceremonial faceoffs video: Brendan Loughnane, Marlon Moraes size each other up

Check out the ceremonial faceoffs from the first PFL event of 2023.

LAS VEGAS – The 2023 PFL season kicks off Saturday and the promotion held its first ceremonial faceoffs Friday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels.

2023 PFL 1 features the first of two regular season fights for its featherweight and light heavyweight fighters with a main card on ESPN/ESPN+ after prelims on ESPN+.

In the main event, 2022 PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) returns against former UFC bantamweight title challenger [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1).

Also on the card, 2022 PFL light heavyweight champion [autotag]Robert Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2) takes on former UFC light heavyweight title challenger [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11).

Check out the ceremonial faceoffs above and the full fight card below.

MAIN CARD (ESPN/ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)

Brendan Loughnane vs. Marlon Moraes
Rob Wilkinson vs. Thiago Santos
Will Fleury vs. Krzysztof Jotko
Movlid Khaybulaev vs. Ryoji Kudo
Bubba Jenkins vs. Chris Wade

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)

Mohammad Fakhreddine vs. Marthin Hamlet
Sam Kei vs. Josh Silveira
Alejandro Flores vs. Daniel Torres
Sung Bin Jo vs. Jesus Pinedo
Ty Flores vs. Delan Monte
Cory Hendricks vs. Impa Kasanganay

PFL 2023, Week 1 predictions: Check out our three unanimous picks to open the season

Check out our staff members’ picks for the PFL 2023, Week 1 main card in Las Vegas, which features featherweights and light heavyweights.

	Loughnane vs. Moraes	Santos vs. Wilkinson	Fleury vs. Jotko	Khayvulaev vs. Kudo	Jenkins vs. Wade
MMA Junkie readers’ consensus picks 35-24	Loughnane (88%)	Wilkinson (56%)	Jotko (88%)	Khaybulaev (88%)	Wade (61%)
Matt Erickson @MattE 37-22	Loughnane	Santos	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Nolan King @mma_kings 37-22	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
George Garcia @MMAjunkieGeorge 37-22	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Simon Samano @SJSamano 35-24	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Abbey Subhan @kammakaze 34-25	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Jenkins
Farah Hannoun @Farah_Hannoun 34-25	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Ken Hathaway @kenshathaway 33-26 2018, 2022 Champion	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Jenkins
Matthew Wells @MrMWells 33-26	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Jenkins
Mike Bohn @MikeBohn 32-27 2014 Champion	Loughnane	Santos	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Danny Segura @dannyseguratv 32-27	Loughnane	Santos	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Wade
Brian Garcia @thegoze 31-28 2017 Champion	Loughnane	Wilkinson	Jotko	Khaybulaev	Jenkins

The PFL is back for its 2023 regular season, and featherweights and light heavyweights are up first.

PFL 2023, Week 1 takes place Saturday at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+.

(Click here to open a PDF of the staff picks grid in a separate window.)

In the main event, 2022 featherweight season winner [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] (26-4) takes on [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag] (23-11-1), a former WSOF bantamweight champion and ex-UFC interim title challenger who has fallen on rough times with five straight losses, including in his PFL debut this past November. Loughnane is the biggest favorite on the card at -750 at BetMGM; the comeback on Moraes is +500. Not surprisingly, our 11 editors, writers, radio hosts and videographers have Loughnane as one of three unanimous picks on the main card.

The co-main event also features a former UFC title challenger in [autotag]Thiago Santos[/autotag] (22-11), who takes on 2022 light heavyweight season winner [autotag]Rob Wilkinson[/autotag] (17-2), who has six straight wins by stoppage. Wilkinson is a 2-1 favorite at the betting window, and he has a big 8-3 lead in the picks from our staff members.

Also on the main card, [autotag]Krzysztof Jotko[/autotag] (24-6) will fight outside the UFC for the first time in nearly 10 years when he steps in on short notice to take on [autotag]Will Fleury[/autotag] (11-3) at light heavyweight. Jotko, who is moving up after years at middleweight, is a -250 favorite and the second of our unanimous picks at 11-0.

Our third unanimous pick is [autotag]Movlid Khaybulaev[/autotag] (19-0-1), who is a 7-1 favorite in his featherweight season opener against [autotag]Ryoji Kudo[/autotag] (11-4-1). Khaybulaev won the 2021 featherweight season, but was out of action all of 2022.

And to open the main card, the man Loughnane beat this past November to win the $1 million featherweight season, [autotag]Bubba Jenkins[/autotag] (19-6), returns to take on 2021 finalist [autotag]Chris Wade[/autotag] (22-8). Wade is a slight favorite at -175, and he has the narrowest possible edge in the picks at 6-5.

In the MMA Junkie consensus picks, Loughnane (82 percent), Wilkinson (56 percent), Jotko (88 percent), Khaybulaev (88 percent) and Wade (61 percent) are the choices.

Check out all the picks above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for PFL 2023, Week 1.

Brendan Loughnane relishes challenge of fighting Marlon Moraes to open season at 2023 PFL 1

The start to PFL champ Brendan Loughnane’s season can’t be more appealing than having to face former UFC title challenger Marlon Moraes.

Given that reigning PFL featherweight champion [autotag]Brendan Loughnane[/autotag] is looking for “name value” fights, the start to his 2023 season can’t be more appealing than having to face [autotag]Marlon Moraes[/autotag].

Is he surprised to draw the former UFC title challenger right off the bat?

“Not really, no,” Loughnane told MMA Junkie Radio. “They’re probably paying him a lot of money. They want to get the value out of Marlon, too, right?”

Loughnane (26-4) and Moraes (23-11-1) meet in Saturday’s ESPN-televised PFL 1 headliner at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Moraes announced his retirement last April on the heels of a four-fight losing streak, but then he unretired less than six months later to sign with the PFL.

Moraes was one of a few splash signings late last year, and he made his promotional debut in November at the PFL Championships event where he suffered a third-round TKO to Sheymon Moraes to push his losing streak to five after a fight that Marlon was winning until the finish.

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Even though it’s been a rough stretch for Moraes since 2020, Loughnane recognizes that he’s still a fighter who holds wins over current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (first-round knockout) and former UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo (split decision). Loughnane sees him as a challenge and appreciates the matchup as opposed to someone who otherwise might be considered a no-name.

“Imagine you get this guy and then everybody in the U.K. tuning in, and they’re like, ‘Oh, who’s this guy?’ Nobody knows. But then they go, ‘Oh, Marlon?’ Loughnane said. “Everyone knows he’s the guy that knocked out Sterling. He’s the guy that beat Aldo not too long ago. He’s been on a bit of a skid, but he was beating Sheymon comfortably. …

“Everyone’s gonna tune in to watch Brendan and Marlon, two strikers going at it. You’ve got the aggressive guy, you’ve got the thinker, you’ve got the ’45er, you’ve got the ’35er that’s coming up and not depleting himself anymore. This is one that the fan’s win on.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for 2023 PFL 1.

UFC veterans in MMA and boxing action March 30-April 1

Check out which UFC veterans are in MMA and boxing action across the globe this weekend.

The UFC idle this week after a trip to San Antonio for UFC on ESPN 43, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] picked up a big bantamweight win over [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag].

Elsewhere, many other MMA events are taking place, including Bellator and PFL kicking off their 2023 regular season. Those events, and others feature a number of familiar names that have competed under the UFC banner.

This week, there are a total of 32 veterans of the global MMA leader competing in MMA and boxing this week from March 30-April 1.

Check out the names and details about their bouts below.

Upcoming event information from Tapology.