Maybe Marlon Moraes had a classic case of the UFC Jitters on Saturday night.
Or maybe it’s just tough for any opponent to look good against an opponent as formidable as Rafael Assuncao.
Assuncao shut down the former longtime World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion on Saturday night at UFC 212. In an otherwise evenly matched tactical fight, Assuncao landed the hardest shots, and that was enough to get the decision in a battle of U.S.-based Brazilians in Rio de Janeiro.
The crafty veteran took a split decision on scores of 29-28, 28-29, and 30-27 for his ninth victory in his past 10 fights.