Moraes Escape: Surfaced Scorecards Reveal Phumi Nkuta Held Significant Lead Before Submission Loss

Surfaced scorecards from the Nkuta-Moraes bout show Phumi Nkuta was ahead 20-18 on two judges' cards before being submitted by Adriano Moraes in the final round. The data confirms the flyweight prospect was minutes away from a major upset victory at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano.

By Wire Report team

The news

Official scorecards have surfaced for the flyweight clash between Phumi "Turbo" Nkuta and Adriano Moraes, revealing how close the prospect came to a career-defining upset. Per @arielhelwani, Nkuta was ahead 20-18 on two judges' cards, with the third seeing the bout even at 19-19 heading into the final frame. This multi-source reporting, corroborated by additional commentary from Spaude, confirms that Moraes was facing a definitive decision loss before finding a submission finish late in the fight.

Prior context

The matchup took place on the high-profile undercard of MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano, pitting the veteran Moraes against the ascending Nkuta. Pre-fight analysis from the Blueprint MMA War Room Committee had actually favored Nkuta, citing visible "decline markers" for Moraes and pointing to Nkuta's activity rate as a key advantage. Moraes, a veteran with a 72.05-inch reach and eleven career submission wins, was tasked with fending off the youth and durability of the "Turbo" prospect.

During the first ten minutes, the committee’s thesis appeared to be playing out in real-time as Nkuta outpaced the former champion. Nkuta’s ability to navigate the reach of Moraes allowed him to bank rounds on two of the three official scorecards. However, the veteran craft of Moraes eventually provided the equalizer, allowing him to secure a submission before the final bell could rescue Nkuta.

What it means

This revelation reframes the narrative of the fight from a competitive veteran win to a narrow escape for Adriano Moraes. While Moraes proved his submission game is still a live threat against younger competition, the scorecards highlight that his margin for error has significantly thinned. He was effectively one round away from a decision loss that would have signaled a definitive changing of the guard in the flyweight division.

For Phumi Nkuta, the loss is mitigated by the numerical evidence of his dominance over a world-class opponent. The scorecards provide objective proof that he belongs at the elite level, having outfought a legend for the majority of the contest. The result serves as a harsh lesson in late-fight management, but it also establishes Nkuta as a legitimate threat to any ranked fighter in the weight class.

Judges' Tallies: Two judges had Nkuta up 20-18; the third had it 19-19 before the finish.
The Finish: Adriano Moraes secured his 11th career submission win in the third round.
Vulnerability: Moraes was trailing on all scorecards heading into the final five minutes.
Reach Factor: Moraes successfully utilized his 72.05-inch reach to find the winning opening.

What to watch next

The MMA world will be watching to see if Moraes can address the activity deficit that saw him fall behind on the scorecards before his next outing. Meanwhile, Nkuta will likely be fast-tracked into another high-stakes matchup to see if he can pair his high-volume style with the necessary third-round composure to close out elite veterans.