Nearly two full years out of action, Maryna Moroz made her return to the Octagon on the prelims of UFC 272 and did so as her native Ukraine continues to battle against invading Russian forces. Despite the time away from competition and the emotions surrounding the conflict, Moroz put on a career-best performance in scoring a second-round submission of Mariya Agapova at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Despite entering the cage as a slight underdog, Moroz brought a flurry of offense from the opening bell, pressuring Agapova and never allowing her to get comfortable. By the second round, it was clear Moroz was in full control of the action and she was able to get the fight to the floor, advance position and lock in an arm-triangle choke to force the submission.
Despite her calm and cool approach to the fight, Moroz was overcome with emotion after her hand was raised.
Powerful words from an emotional Maryna Moroz competing in incredibly tough circumstances 💙💛#UFC272 pic.twitter.com/U35HcBvj3C
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) March 6, 2022
"My family is in Ukraine," Moroz said. "I had a hard week. I worried, I cried, because my family is right now in a bad situation. Thank you to everyone who messaged me, supported me, because this week was hard for me. I wanted to cry because of this war my country is in.
"I have a lot of pressure. All this week I feel nervous, I cried. I tried to focus. Many people don't know, but it was really hard for me. I see in Ukraine how terrible the situation is. It was really my heart almost crying. But I did it. I focused and I did fight."
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