Brendon Marotte Record: 8-3-0

Rebuilding toward the big stage

Marotte regrouped on the regional circuit, returning in 2020 and then again in 2023 after a layoff, picking up wins by decision, knockout, and a first-round rear-naked choke as he kept his profile alive. The accumulated body of work — a 7–1 record built largely on finishes — earned him a short-notice call to the UFC. That debut, in October 2023, came against one of the lightweight division's most explosive finishers, Terrance McKinney, who ended the night in the first round with a knee and ground-and-pound. It was a brutal welcome to the sport's top level.

UFC tenure

Marotte's second Octagon appearance came in September 2024 against unbeaten prospect Isaac Dulgarian, who submitted him with a second-round arm-triangle choke. The two UFC losses share a theme: against the division's elite athletes, Marotte was caught before his own offense could take over. Both setbacks came inside the distance, underlining the gap between his regional dominance and the margins at the UFC level, where a single mistake against a top finisher ends the fight.

Fighting style

Marotte is a finisher first. Five of his eight career wins have come by KO/TKO and one by submission, against just two decisions — a 75% finish rate that reflects a fighter who hunts the stoppage rather than the scorecards. His best weapon is concussive striking, the product of his boxing base, and he is dangerous early when he can let his hands go. The honest weakness is the grappling and the chin against elite competition: his three career losses include a submission and a knockout, and both UFC defeats came when opponents either out-grappled him or beat him to the finish. Translating his regional power into success against the world's best remains the open question of his career.

Career highlights

• Four finishes in his debut year — opened his pro career 4–0 in 2018 entirely by stoppage, establishing himself as a top New England prospect.
• UFC call-up — earned a promotion to the Octagon off a 7–1 regional record built on knockouts and a submission finish.
• 75% finish rate — five KO/TKOs and a submission among eight wins, a power-punching profile that keeps his fights dangerous from the opening bell.