UFC's No. 1-ranked bantamweight contender, Marlon Moraes, announced this week that he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19. The Brazilian fighter told ESPN Brazil that he is recovering and hopes to be back in action in October, with former champion Cody Garbrandt as his preferred opponent.
"Unfortunately, I got the virus — me and my wife," Moraes told ESPN Brazil for a story published Monday night. “We were very weak, the symptoms were very strong on us. Thank God I didn’t need to go to the hospital, but I had to take my wife to the hospital."
While Moraes recovers, he remains on the outside looking in at the rest of the 135-pound division.
The bantamweight picture has come into focus in the past few weeks. Petr Yan defeated Jose Aldo at UFC 251 to claim the belt, which was vacated when Henry Cejudo retired. Aljamain Sterling cemented himself as next in line for the title after needing only 90 seconds to submit Cory Sandhagen at UFC 250.
Moraes, meanwhile, has been absent from the scene since narrowly defeating Aldo in December. It came as a surprise to many that Aldo would get the title shot instead of Moraes, but it seems as if the American Top Team fighter has been forgotten about in the division. He also owns a brutal head-kick knockout victory over Sterling.
Moraes already has a timetable for his return because he believes a title fight has already been set.
"The fight to do now is me vs. Cody (Garbrandt)," he said, "and I think they will put Sterling (in) to fight Yan, and whoever wins between me and Cody will be the next to fight for the belt."
Garbrandt is coming off a vicious knockout of Rafael Assuncao at UFC 250 and would more than likely be game to fight Moraes.
“The UFC is already planning for October," Moraes said of the two fighting. "The fight has already been offered, on my part it has already been accepted, (and) I'm just waiting for the UFC."