5 Defining Moments: Thiago Moises

It is a common understanding in combat sports that experience in competition often fosters a sense of maturity and calm disposition. For a few fighters, like Thiago Moises, beyond being armed with physical prowess, he strides into the Octagon with a wealth of experience that belies his age. The Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight contender’s career is a testament to his unwavering dedication to perpetual improvement. He emanates a mindset of constant growth as he asserts, “I’m not even close to my prime.” Those words underscore his insatiable hunger for growth.

At just 28, he has competed across several renowned mixed martial arts promotions and has fought against the best names of the UFC’s 155-pound bracket over an 11-fight stretch under the organization’s banner. Moises’ introduction to the Las Vegas-based promotion came with a daunting challenge against Beneil Dariush. Despite the outcome not swinging in his favor, the Brazilian chose resilience over resignation and returned to the forge with renewed determination. His record of 6-5 in the UFC may not convey the most favorable impression, with only two victories in his last five Octagon outings. Having said that, he will be champing at the bit to return to triumphant ways when he locks horns with promotional newcomer Mitch Ramirez at UFC Fight Night 239 this Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Ahead of Moises’ clash with Ramirez, a look at five of the many moments that have helped define his career to this point:

1. A Prime Five-Star Prelude

The black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Paulo Streckert set sail on his professional mixed martial arts career by competing under five different banners. Nevertheless, the outcome mirrored similar results as he amassed five straight victories, with two submissions and a thunderous head kick knockout during that stretch. In that process, he collected signature victories over the likes of Dennis Bentes and Francivaldo Soares before going on to suffer the first loss of his professional journey against former UFC fighter Jason Knight.

2. Embarking on Glory and Guarding the Crown

Under the Resurrection Fighting Alliance banner at RFA 35, the Sao Paulo, Brazil, native got his first crack at gold for the organization’s vacant lightweight championship on Feb. 19, 2016. Going up against David Castillo, it took Moises two rounds to secure a submission victory by armbar and lay claim to his maiden championship laurel. Following the victory, he went on to defend the title twice, collecting a technical knockout victory over Jamall Emmers at RFA 38 and a unanimous decision over Zach Freeman at RFA 44.

3. Punching His Ticket to the UFC with Authority

Following a 1-1 run in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, Moises got an opportunity to clinch a berth in the UFC thanks to Dana White’s Contender Series Brazil in August 2018. Moises went into the competition as one of the most experienced talents in the program and made quick work of Gleidson Moraes Cutis with a Round 1 TKO victory. He was subsequently signed by the UFC and would go on to make his promotional debut two months later against Dariush.

4. A Phenomenal Streak of Victories

After starting 1-2 in the UFC, Moises went on the best run of his journey in the promotion, rattling off three straight victories with clear authority. He doubled down on his efforts and used the pair of setbacks as fuel to propel him to triumphant ways against perennial contenders Michael Johnson, Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez. While he submitted Johnson via Achilles lock, the other set of wins were scored unanimously in the Brazilian’s favor.

5. Pushing the Future Champion to the Brink

In the maiden main event opportunity for both Moises and dance partner Islam Makhachev, the fight proved to be a good matchup of skilled grappling experts. From the opening bell, the Dagestani blended solid striking with grappling precision. Despite the Brazilian’s valiant efforts to weather the storm, Makhachev’s relentless pressure saw him dictate the pace of the fight. Moises refused to concede and threatened with some submission attempts but was unable to pose any significant threats. In the fourth round, Makhachev seized an opening to sink in a rear-naked choke submission that left Moises with no choice but to tap out at the 2:38 mark. While victory eluded him on this occasion, the 28-year-old’s determination and grit underscored the talent he holds for future opportunities.