Marlon Moraes has revealed he has tested positive for COVID-19 but has also accepted a fight against Cody Garbrandt.
The top-ranked bantamweight contender has not fought since he beat Jose Aldo by decision at UFC 245. He was expected to battle Petr Yan in the main event of UFC Kazakhstan but the event got canceled. Since then, he has been calling for fights but will have to be sidelined for a little bit as he tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
“Unfortunately, I got the virus — me and my wife. 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,” Moraes told ESPN Brazil. “We spent a day at the hospital. She was treated by them, she took some medicines, then she stayed under observation.”
According to Moraes, he believes the UFC will book Yan’s first title defense against Aljamain Sterling. For him, he revealed he has been offered and accepted a scrap against former champion, Cody Garbrandt in October.
“The fight [the UFC has] to do now is me versus Cody. And I think they will put [Aljamain] Sterling to fight Yan and whoever wins between me and Cody will be the next to fight for the belt,” Moraes said. “The [UFC] is already planning [the fight] for October. The fight has already been offered, on my part it has already been accepted, I’m just waiting for the UFC.”
It seems likely the winner of Moraes vs. Garbrandt will fight the winner of Yan vs. Sterling if that is what the UFC does next.
