Marlon Moraes followed the example of many UFC fighters and went over to train at Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand. The gym is very famous and many fighters have gone to Thailand just to train with the gym.
Marlon Moraes recently spoke to MMAJunkie and talked about the nightmare he went through once he arrived in Thailand. The language barrier didn't make things any easier for the UFC bantamweight.
“At this point in my career, I decided to come here, start a strong camp, you know, get a couple of weeks in Thailand away from my family, training hard,” Moraes told MMA Junkie. “But man, everything went crazy because I arrived here last Monday, and when you arrive in Thailand, you have to test for COVID right away. I tested, and they called my room and they said, ‘Hey, I think your test is inconclusive, so wait.’ At night, they said, ‘Hey, you’re positive. We’ve got to transfer you to a hospital.’
“I mean, I couldn’t understand well what they were saying because the hotel where I was, they didn’t speak much English. Man, I couldn’t even order food. It was rough, but man, I was almost out. I was almost going to train, you know, so no problem. But then came an ambulance, and bro, they threw me in the ambulance, and this guy starts driving like crazy, and I’m completely lost because I didn’t know where I was going. I just know I’m positive, and I’m in the ambulance, and I don’t know where he’s taking me.”
Marlon Moraes soon found himself sick and in quarantine. The Brazilian UFC fighter went through a nightmare situation.
“It’s different than a normal hospital because this place, you have to stay in this small room forever,” Moraes said during the final day of his 11-day order. “You can’t leave the room. You can’t go anywhere. You get three meals a day: one at 8 a.m., one at noon, and one at 5 p.m.
“Finally, after a few days, I started to get a little sick. I started to have fever and body pain – a lot of pain on my back.”
The UFC bantamweight was in quarantine and going through COVID, again. He didn't want to tell his family because he didn't want them to worry. Marlon Moraes did still have a fight he needed to get ready for.
“I was still thinking about not letting my wife worry,” Moraes said. “She’s home with our kids. You know, it’s kind of hard. But after a couple of days, we are all staying positive. She’s talking with me all the time, keeping me positive because first they told me I was going to leave after seven days. Then, ‘No, it will be more. You’ve got to stay 11 days.’ She still was on my side, like, telling me, ‘Stay strong. Never, ever, has it been easy for us. We always had to fight through, and I believe this is going to make you stronger, and things happen for a reason.’
“It’s hard, and it’s hard to believe that everything does happen for a reason, but I’m still here, and what I’m going to do? It’s been a crazy test, a crazy 11 days, but going through this, it was for something. Let’s believe that.”
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