Picking a fight with a police officer is generally a poor decision, but doing it with one who once challenged for a UFC title adds another layer of bad timing. A recently surfaced bodycam video shows Coral Springs Police Officer Marlon Moraes taking a man to the ground after the man verbally challenged him during a traffic stop.
Moraes, 38, is a former UFC bantamweight title challenger and World Series of Fighting bantamweight champion who has worked as a South Florida police officer since 2024. According to MMA Junkie, the incident itself happened on March 27 but only recently began circulating widely online.
In the footage, the man can be heard telling Moraes, “You can’t do sh*t,” as he continues to confront him in a parking lot. Moraes remains standing in front of him until the man takes a step toward the officer, at which point Moraes trips him to the pavement.
Other officers quickly move in and assist with placing the man in handcuffs. The circumstances that initially led to the traffic stop, including what the man was suspected of doing beforehand, were not detailed in the information released with the viral video.
Marlon Moraes Had a Slightly Different Résumé Than the Man Expected
🚨 BREAKING! A short police officer showing the tough guy that size doesn’t matter. 🚨
APPARENTLY it’s ex-UFC fighter Marlon Moraes. pic.twitter.com/tA07tld733
— Renato Money Acriano (@moicanoac) September 4, 2026
Moraes competed professionally in mixed martial arts for years before entering law enforcement, earning a reputation as one of the top bantamweights of his era. He challenged Henry Cejudo for the vacant UFC bantamweight championship in 2019 after previously holding the World Series of Fighting title.
He initially retired from MMA in 2023 before announcing his return to competition two years later. On August 28, 2026, Moraes defeated Maximilliano Perez by unanimous decision at LMC 2 in Brazil, marking his first professional victory in seven years.
None of that background appeared to matter until the man moved toward him during the traffic stop. What followed was considerably shorter than a UFC bout, with Moraes putting him on the pavement before fellow officers stepped in to complete the arrest.
Viewers Think the Other Officers Knew Exactly What Was Coming
Much of the online reaction centered on the possibility that the other officers already knew exactly who the man was trying to intimidate. One viewer joked that an officer in the background appeared to smile as soon as the man threatened Moraes, interpreting the reaction as something close to, “this is gonna be good.”
Others focused on Moraes’ appearance, with one person asking, “Did bro not look at his ears?” in reference to the cauliflower ear commonly associated with longtime wrestlers and combat-sports athletes. Another commenter was less amused and raised concern about Moraes’ history of knockout losses during his MMA career, questioning whether that should matter for an armed police officer.
That concern prompted another commenter to defend Moraes’ conduct, arguing that medical standards likely apply and instead pointing to what they saw as “complete self-control” during the encounter. Considering Moraes waited until the man stepped toward him before reacting, plenty of viewers seemed less impressed by the takedown itself than by how long the former UFC contender avoided giving the man exactly the confrontation he appeared to be asking for.