John Anthony Moraga (born March 20, 1984) is an American

professional boxer Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regulatory autho ...

and

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who competes as a

flyweight Flyweight is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing above 49 kg (108 lb) and up to 51 kg (112 lb). Professional boxing The flyweight division was the last of bo ...

and

featherweight Featherweight is a weight class in the combat sports of boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling. Boxing Professional boxing History A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of . In the early days of the division, this ...

in MMA and boxing, respectively. He is best known for his lengthy career

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

which saw him challenge for the

UFC Flyweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

in 2013.

Background

Moraga was born and raised in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1 ...

. He attended Maryvale High School and then chose to go to

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

where he was a two-time University Freestyle All-American wrestler for the Sun Devils.

Mixed martial arts career

Moraga started his professional career at 2009 in Arizona for the local organization Rage in the Cage. There he achieved an undefeated record of 6–0, until his fight against John Dodson at 2010, in which he lost via unanimous decision. After this setback he won five straight bouts to make his way into the UFC. He is of Mexican heritage.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Moraga was expected his promotional debut against Ian McCall on August 4, 2012 at

UFC on Fox 4 ''UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background Chad Griggs was expected to fa ...

. However, McCall was forced out of the bout with an injury and replaced by

Ulysses Gomez Ulysses Gomez (Los Angeles, May 25, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight and bantamweight divisions. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, Gomez has mostly fought in PFC and Tachi Palace Fights and is also k ...

. Moraga won the fight via KO in the first round. Moraga next faced

Chris Cariaso Chris Vincent Cariaso (born May 27, 1981) is a retired Filipino-American mixed martial artist who competed as a Flyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Personal Cariaso is of Filipino descent. Mixed martial arts career Since turning pr ...

on December 29, 2012 at

UFC 155 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Moraga was victorious with a third round guillotine choke submission. His victory also earned him ''Submission of the Night'' honors. Moraga was expected to face

Demetrious Johnson Demetrious Johnson (born August 13, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in ONE Championship, where he is the current ONE Flyweight Champion (135 lb). He is the inaugural and former UFC Flyweight Champion. Known fo ...

for the

on April 13, 2013 at The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. However, Johnson was forced out of the bout with an injury and Moraga was removed from the event as well. Moraga eventually faced

UFC on Fox 8 ''UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Moraga'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 8'') was a mixed martial arts event held on July 27, 2013, at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. The event was broadcast live on FX and Fox. Background The main event was a UFC F ...

on July 27, 2013. Moraga showed promise in the first round as he landed some good strikes standing. However, the champion began to wear him down with his wrestling. Despite hurting Johnson in the fourth round with a punch, he lost the fight via submission in the fifth round. Moraga was expected to face

Darren Uyenoyama Darren Uyenoyama (born October 15, 1979) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently competing for Pacific Xtreme Combat in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2002, Uyenoyama has formerly competed for the ...

on December 14, 2013 at

UFC on Fox 9 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, Moraga pulled out of the bout with an undisclosed injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Alptekin Ozkilic. Moraga faced

Dustin Ortiz Dustin Ortiz (born December 25, 1988) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division and is currently signed to the Brave CF. A professional competitor since 2010, Ortiz has also formerly competed for the UFC, RFA, T ...

on January 15, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 35 ''UFC Fight Night: Rockhold vs. Philippou'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 35'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 15, 2014, at The Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth, Georgia. The event was broadcast live on Fox Sports 1, and was ...

. He won the fight via split decision. A rematch with John Dodson took place on June 7, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 42 ''UFC Fight Night: Henderson vs. Khabilov'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 42'') was a mixed martial arts event held on June 7, 2014, at Tingley Coliseum in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Background The event was the first that the organization hoste ...

. He lost the fight via TKO due to a doctor stoppage between rounds two and three after a knee Dodson threw late in the second round broke Moraga's nose. Moraga faced

Justin Scoggins Justin Craig Scoggins (born May 2, 1992) is an American mixed martial artist and former full-contact kickboxer currently competing in the Rizin Fighting Federation. A professional mixed martial artist since 2010, Scoggins has previously competed ...

on September 5, 2014 at

UFC Fight Night 50 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. Moraga defeated Scoggins via submission in the second round, securing a guillotine choke after being taken down. Moraga was expected to face

Jussier Formiga Jussier da Silva Viera Formiga (born April 14, 1985) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, Formiga most notably competed in the UFC and is the former Shooto South Ameri ...

on December 13, 2014 at

UFC on Fox 13 ''UFC on Fox: dos Santos vs. Miocic'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 13'') was a mixed martial arts event held at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 13, 2014. Background The event was the first that the organization has hosted in ...

. However, Formiga pulled out of the fight on November 21 and was replaced by

Willie Gates Willie Gates (born January 21, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the Flyweight (MMA), Flyweight division. A professional competitor since 2008, he has competed for the UFC, King of the Cage, Tachi Palace Fights, a ...

. Moraga won the fight via submission in the third round. Moraga faced

Joseph Benavidez Joseph Rolando Benavidez (born July 31, 1984) is an American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Background Benavidez was born on July 31, 1984, in San An ...

on May 23, 2015 at

UFC 187 ''UFC 187: Johnson vs. Cormier'' was a mixed martial arts event held on May 23, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background The event was expected to be headlined by a UFC Light Heavyweight Championship bout between then ...

. Moraga lost the back and forth fight via unanimous decision. Moraga faced

Matheus Nicolau Matheus Nicolau Pereira (born January 6, 1993) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He has also competed in the Brave Combat Federation (Brave CF) ...

on July 8, 2016 at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale He lost the fight via split decision. Moraga was expected to face

Zach Makovsky Zachary Paul "Zach" Makovsky (born April 19, 1982) is an American mixed martial artist currently competing in the flyweight division of the Brave Combat Federation. He has competed in EliteXC, ShoXC, Bellator, and Ultimate Fighting Championship ...

on December 10, 2016 at

UFC 206 ''UFC 206: Holloway vs. Pettis'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) held on December 10, 2016, at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background A UFC Light Heavyweight Championshi ...

. However, Moraga pulled out of the fight in early November citing injury and was replaced by

. Moraga next faced

Sergio Pettis Sergio Jerome Pettis (born August 18, 1993) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently signed with Bellator MMA, where he is the current Bellator Bantamweight Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Pettis competed in the Ultimate Fig ...

on January 15, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 103 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. Moraga faced promotional newcomer

Ashkan Mokhtarian Ashkan Mokhtarian ( fa, اشکان مختاریان, born 18 September 1985 Tehran, Iran), is an Iranian-born Australian mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Mokhtarian's parents fled Ira ...

on June 11, 2017 at

UFC Fight Night 110 ''UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Hunt'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 110'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on 11 June 2017 at the Spark Arena in Auckland, New Zealand. Background The event was ...

. He won the one-sided fight by unanimous decision. Moraga faced

Magomed Bibulatov Magomed Khasanovich Bibulatov (born August 22, 1988) is a Russian mixed martial artist currently fighting for ACA in the Bantamweight division. He competed in the flyweight division in Ultimate Fighting Championship. He is the former World Seri ...

on October 7, 2017 at

UFC 216 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. He won the fight via knockout in the first round. This win earned him the

Performance of the Night UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...

award. Moraga faced

Wilson Reis Wilson Reis Monte Alto Gonçalves (born January 6, 1985, in Januária) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Flyweight division. Reis is the former EliteXC Bantamweight Champion and has also competed for UFC, Bellator, ShoXC a ...

on April 14, 2018 at

UFC on Fox 29 ''UFC on Fox: Poirier vs. Gaethje'' (also known as ''UFC on FOX 29'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on April 14, 2018, at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Background After pr ...

. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Moraga faced

Deiveson Figueiredo Deiveson Alcântara Figueiredo (born December 18, 1987) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the two-time and current UFC Flyw ...

on August 25, 2018 at

UFC Fight Night 135 ''UFC Fight Night: Gaethje vs. Vick'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 135'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on August 25, 2018 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, United Stat ...

. He lost the fight via TKO in the second round. On February 7, 2019, it was reported that Moraga was released from the UFC.

Post-UFC career

Moraga was supposed to face

Hector Sandoval Hector Sandoval (born July 19, 1986) is Mexican-American mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist, who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He currently competes in the flyweight division. Background Born in Uruapan, Michoacán, Mexico ...

at ARES 2 on April 3, 2020. However, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the event was postponed until October 30, 2020, before being cancelled altogether.

Professional boxing career

Just before joining ranks of the UFC, Moraga made his professional boxing debut against Jose Marrufo, losing the bout via unanimous decision. After he was released from the UFC in 2019, he continued with his boxing career by defeating Brandon Foss via technical knockout in the second round.

Championships and accomplishments

Amateur wrestling

USA Wrestling USA Wrestling (formerly known as the United States Wrestling Federation and as the United States Wrestling Association) is the organization that currently governs freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling in the United States. USA Wrestling is ...

**University Freestyle All-American out of

(2006–07) **University Freestyle National Championship 133 lb: 6th place out of

(2006–07) *

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Pac-10 Conference The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division ...

125 lb: 4th place out of

(2007) **

133 lb: 6th place out of

(2004)

Mixed martial arts

**Submission of the Night (one time) **Performance of the Night (one time) *Rage in the Cage **Rage in the Cage Bantamweight Crown (2012) *Trilogy Championship Fighting **Trilogy Championship Fighting Bantamweight Champion (2011) *

Sherdog Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...

** 2013 All-Violence First Team

Mixed martial arts record

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Professional boxing record

References

External links

* * *
Official John Moraga Tee KO Page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moraga, John 1984 births Living people American male mixed martial artists American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent Sportspeople from Phoenix, Arizona Flyweight mixed martial artists Bantamweight mixed martial artists Featherweight mixed martial artists Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing freestyle wrestling Mixed martial artists utilizing boxing Mixed martial artists from Arizona Arizona State Sun Devils wrestlers Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters