UFC 245 live blog: Marlon Moraes vs. Jose Aldo

This is the UFC 245 live blog for Marlon Moraes vs. Jose Aldo, a bantamweight bout at Saturday’s UFC event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Moraes, who has won four of his last five fights, faces Aldo, a two-time UFC featherweight champion who is making his debut at 135 pounds, on the main card.

Check out the UFC 245 live blog below.

Round 1: Marc Goddard the third man in the cage for this one. Moraes catches Aldo with a head kick right out of the gate. It looked clean but Aldo is smiling. Another head kick glances off of Aldo’s head, Moraes is looking for blood. Straight counter-right by Aldo lands right on the button. Aldo looking to establish range with the jab. Moraes respecting it. Leg kick by Moraes, then a straight left. Lunging left connects for Moraes. 1-2 by Moraes, Aldo with some good head movement in response. Aldo dodges a high spin kick. Moraes doubles up on the jab. Hard inside leg kick by Moraes followed by a left hand. Moraes circling. Nice right hand by Aldo. He lands another and starts to flurry, Moraes backing up against the fence. He ties Aldo up and scores with a nice throw to slow Aldo down.He ends the round in top position.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Moraes.

Round 2: Aldo sticking with the jab to start round two. Moraes answers a low kick with a right hand down the middle. Moraes circling and jabbing, then he fires punches to the body. Aldo blocks a high kick and continues to walk Moraes down, he’s not throwing much though. Jab lands for Aldo, then a clean 1-2 combination to the body. They trade jabs, Moraes looks like his shots are a little harder. Aldo picking up the pace a little, Moraes slows him with a big right hand. Moraes having difficulty avoiding that jab. Slow wheel kick blocked by Aldo. Aldo has been in Moraes’s face this whole round. Moraes avoids a jumping knee, Aldo answers with punches. Moraes with a left hook, Aldo with an uppercut. They’re opening up on each other. Left hand by Moraes shakes Aldo up. He lands a clean jab before the buzzer.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Aldo. Overall, 19-19.

Round 3: Right hand by Aldo lands, Moraes hits a counter left as he darts out of Aldo’s path. Moraes triples up on the jab and scores. Moraes evasive, timing his punches well. Aldo looking to pick his spots. Moraes in and out. Neither man with much output through the first half of the final frame. Aldo with a jab to the head and one to the body. Moraes dodges a flying knee. Aldo with the fast hands, he tags Moraes with a few punches. Nice right hand over the top by Moraes. Weird collision as they both throw kicks at the same time. Moraes lands a loud leg kick. He shoots in and takes a knee to the body, but tags Aldo with a 1-2 up top. Moraes jabs, Aldo throws a couple of glancing punches. Very close fight.

MMA Fighting scores the round 10-9, Moraes. Overall, 29-28 Moraes.

Official results: Marlon Moraes def. Jose Aldo via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)