Brandon Moreno has hopes of becoming an all-time UFC great, but the UFC flyweight champion must first defend his title in a trilogy bout with former division king Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270 later this month.
Moreno, who won the title with a submission win over Figueiredo at UFC 263 last June, is eager to prove he isn’t a flash in the pan. The Mexican-born fighter has showcased some serious talent inside of the Octagon over the years, but Moreno believes his journey is far from over. “Assassin Baby” is eager to fight as much as possible to defend his title, build his legacy, and clean out a rejuvenated flyweight division.
“It’s a second chapter,” Moreno told MMA Junkie Radio. “Obviously before the belt, all my mind was to get the belt, to be the champion, to beat Deiveson Figueiredo and be the first Mexican-born champion in the UFC – and that’s it. Now, what is next for me, definitely I need to build my legacy.
“I need to defend my title. I want to clean the division. I know it’s hard work to do because all the other guys in the division are hungry. Definitely they are ready for me, but I’m ready for the challenge. I’m training so hard for this next fight, and that will be my future.”
Moreno, who is just 28 years of age, has a tough task ahead of him at UFC 270. Remember, Figueiredo was expected to be the future of the flyweight division after winning the title back in 2020 over Joseph Benavidez. Figueiredo defended the title once before running into Moreno twice in the past 13 months. If Moreno is able to defeat Figueiredo again it will legitimize his role as the UFC flyweight king, but it will also open him up to a slew of rising contenders eager to capture gold.
From Kai Kara-France, who just knocked out Cody Garbrandt, to Askar Askarov, who is undefeated at 14-0-1, Moreno will have a lot on his plate even if he can get past Figueiredo later this month.
“In the last two or three years, the flyweight division started to be very, very exciting,” Moreno said. “Askar Askarov is there. He’s dangerous, he’s real. Pantoja – I mean he beat me twice before. Definitely, I’m a different fighter, but he’s still dangerous. Kai Kara-France looked sharp in his last fight against Cody Garbrandt. Alex Perez is always there. I’m an analyst, too, so I need to see all the fighters in my division, and I try to do my job every single time, to do my homework and watch all these fighters. But right now, my mind is completely on Figueiredo.”
UFC 270 is set to take place on Jan. 22 live on ESPN+ PPV from inside Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., with a heavyweight title fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane serving as the main event.
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