Tag: UFC Edmonton

Brandon Moreno Assesses Opponent Options After UFC Edmonton, Rules Out One Top-5 Contender

Former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has his eyes on some prominent names following a return to winning ways this past weekend. Moreno entered the Octagon at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Edmonton, Canada facing the prospect of the first three-fight losing skid of his professional career if things didn’t go his way. They […]

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Former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has his eyes on some prominent names following a return to winning ways this past weekend.

Moreno entered the Octagon at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Edmonton, Canada facing the prospect of the first three-fight losing skid of his professional career if things didn’t go his way. They did, however, go his way — and then some.

In Amir Albazi, the Mexican faced a surging contender who boasted a perfect 5-0 UFC record and had most recently climbed the ladder with a main event win over Kai Kara-France.

But “The Assassin Baby” wasn’t about to be the star at the expense of whom the Iraqi secured a title shot, instead firmly beating “The Prince” up across five rounds to secure a lopsided unanimous decision victory.

Having put his name back in the title mix at 125 pounds, Moreno assessed what could lie in his immediate future during his post-fight press conference in Edmonton.

Moreno welcomed the chance to settle the score in a trilogy with Royval. But he doesn’t share the same excitement when it comes to running it back with Kara-France, favoring first-time clashes with Tatsuro Taira or Kai Asakura should the latter fall short of the title at UFC 310 next month.

“I can get (a rematch) with Royval,” Moreno said. “I don’t want to fight with Kai again because I fought him twice and I beat him, but if I have to do that (I will). Tatsuro Taira is there. Kai Asakura, let’s see what happens there against Pantoja. If he loses, that can be the next one.

“I don’t know, let’s see what happens,” Moreno concluded.

While he expects to require another strong performance before earning a shot at regaining the flyweight crown yet again, he seemingly caught the eye of the division’s champion with his display in the “Great White North.”

Pantoja mixed praise with a small jibe toward the Mexican in a social media post, commending him for the victory but also referring to “The Assassin Baby” as his “son.”

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Alexandre Pantoja Reacts To Former Opponent Brandon Moreno’s UFC Edmonton Win

UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja was watching on as Brandon Moreno returned to winning ways in memorable fashion this past weekend. Pantoja unseated Moreno from the 125-pound throne in July 2023, falling on the right side of a split decision in a memorable contest widely seen as last year’s best fight. Since then, “The Cannibal” […]

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UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja was watching on as Brandon Moreno returned to winning ways in memorable fashion this past weekend.

Pantoja unseated Moreno from the 125-pound throne in July 2023, falling on the right side of a split decision in a memorable contest widely seen as last year’s best fight. Since then, “The Cannibal” has cemented his grip on the crown with successful defenses opposite Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.

“The Assassin Baby,” meanwhile, has been looking to work his way back to the Brazilian. That endeavor got underway on the wrong foot this past February in Mexico City, where Moreno once again found his opponent — Royval, this time — getting the nod on two out of the three scorecards.

That left the Mexican outlining plans for an extended break from competition and seemingly out of the flyweight title equation for the foreseeable future. But he returned to it in Edmonton on Saturday night, and in some style.

In the main event, Moreno handed Albazi his first defeat in the UFC, beating “The Prince” up across five rounds en route to a lopsided decision victory.

The former two-time champ received heavy praise across the community in the aftermath, including from a multi-time opponent of his. But Pantoja didn’t miss an opportunity to slide in a small jibe at the victorious Moreno in his X post…

“Very good fight my son,” Pantoja wrote in Portuguese.

Pantoja’s victory over Moreno last year marked his third over the Mexican in MMA. While the Brazilian’s gotten the better of him twice in professional UFC bouts, he also forced a tap from “The Assassin Baby” way back in 2016 during season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter.

With Moreno’s triumph in Canada on Nov. 2, it appears that a rare tetralogy could be on the table despite the Mexican’s 3-0 deficit to Pantoja. Before that comes to fruition, though, both men would appear to have some work to do.

In addition to Moreno acknowledging that he likely requires another strong performance to secure a shot, Pantoja is currently gearing up for his third defense. He’ll welcome former Rizin titleholder Kai Asakura to the Octagon at UFC 310 next month.

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Amir Albazi Issues First Statement On Lopsided Loss To Brandon Moreno At UFC Edmonton

Having tasted defeat for the first time in the UFC, flyweight contender Amir Albazi has vowed to fix the holes in his game and bounce back stronger. After health issues kept him out of the cage for 17 months following a main event win over Kai Kara-France, Albazi finally had the opportunity to stake his […]

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Having tasted defeat for the first time in the UFC, flyweight contender Amir Albazi has vowed to fix the holes in his game and bounce back stronger.

After health issues kept him out of the cage for 17 months following a main event win over Kai Kara-France, Albazi finally had the opportunity to stake his claim for a title shot this past weekend in Edmonton.

Instead of doing so, however, and nothing his biggest victory to date, his perfect UFC record was blemished courtesy of Brandon Moreno’s efforts.

The Mexican snapped “The Prince’s” six-fight winning run in emphatic fashion to close out Saturday’s UFC Fight Night, beating the Iraqi up across five rounds to collect convincing nods on all three scorecards.

A disappointed Albazi took to Instagram a day later to speak on the result, thanking his supporters and promising to display an improved version of himself next time out.

“It wasn’t my night last night, but this is part of life. You win some, you lose some,” Albazi said. “All respect to Brandon Moreno, he was the better man. I’ll be back, I promise. I’ll be back on that horse and keep improving, keep getting better. You guys will see me soon. Thank you for the support.”

“No excuses,” Albazi wrote in the caption. “You win some and lose some but i will be back better ?? i promise. Thanks for the support.”

For Moreno, this past weekend’s main event marked a crucial rebound result. He previously lost two straight by split decision to Alexandre Pantoja — losing the flyweight gold in the process — and Brandon Royval.

He’ll now look ahead to a potential title eliminator, as he seeks the chance to achieve three-time champ status on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

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‘Like Holloway vs. Kattar’ – Fans React To Brandon Moreno’s Masterclass Against Amir Albazi In UFC Edmonton Main Event

Anyone who tried to write off Brandon Moreno was taught a lesson in Saturday night’s UFC Edmonton main event, where the former two-time flyweight champion put a beatdown on fellow top contender Amir Albazi. From the get go, Moreno looked to utilize his striking to the nth degree. And it was a strong start in […]

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Anyone who tried to write off Brandon Moreno was taught a lesson in Saturday night’s UFC Edmonton main event, where the former two-time flyweight champion put a beatdown on fellow top contender Amir Albazi.

From the get go, Moreno looked to utilize his striking to the nth degree. And it was a strong start in the first round, as he landed notable combinations and used his right hand to put Albazi on the back foot, even causing a slip at one point. “The Prince” seemed to be too patient as the fight stretched into the second frame, which saw the Mexican continue to land, land, and land some more.

Moreno’s pacing and accuracy continued to the point where Albazi’s coaches berated him at one point, stating that he was losing every single round with brutal honesty. However, the Iraqi had no answer in the championship rounds despite his best efforts.

“The Assassin Baby” won on all three judges’ scorecards (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) in a masterclass domination.

Brandon Moreno Dominates Amir Albazi In UFC Edmonton Main Event

Moreno vs. Albazi was originally scheduled to take place in February at UFC Mexico City, but a neck injury forced the Iraqi contender to withdraw. The home favorite ended up being defeated by Brandon Royval in the main event of that card.

That result came in the Mexican’s first fight since dropping the UFC flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 in July 2023.

Meanwhile, the Canada-held card this weekend was Albazi’s first loss in the Octagon and saw his six-fight win streak snapped. Albazi’s last loss prior to tonight came against Jose “Shorty” Torres in Brave CF back in April 2019.

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‘Imagine What Shevchenko Would Do’ – Fans React As Erin Blanchfield Outpoints Rose Namajunas At UFC Edmonton

Erin Blanchfield pulled off a reverse sweep and earned a win over another former UFC champion, defeating Rose Namajunas in the UFC Edmonton co-main event. Namajunas had early control of the fight, utilizing her striking over the course of the first two rounds. While Blanchfield had bright spots in the opening frame, “Thug Rose’s” striking […]

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Erin Blanchfield pulled off a reverse sweep and earned a win over another former UFC champion, defeating Rose Namajunas in the UFC Edmonton co-main event.

Namajunas had early control of the fight, utilizing her striking over the course of the first two rounds. While Blanchfield had bright spots in the opening frame, “Thug Rose’s” striking was on complete display in the second, showing the crispness and accuracy that helped elevate her to two UFC strawweight championships previously.

“Cold Blooded” entered tonight with the significant advantage in grappling, and that was on display in the third round. Blanchfield was able to get Namajunas to the ground and controlled the action, but the veteran wasn’t going down without a fight.

Blanchfield was able to get her striking going in the fourth round, finding her range and landing her targets with a solid pace. Namajunas, however, battled back and used her pressure and accuracy for a strong final minute.

The #3-ranked contender got the fight back down and controlled the action there in the final stanza, completing the 48-47 decision win on all three judges’ scorecards.

Erin Blanchfield Pulls Off Reverse Sweep Over Rose Namajunas In UFC Edmonton Co-Main Event

With the result, Blanchfield rebounded from a loss to Manon Fiorot at UFC Atlantic City in March. Prior to that loss, she had been on a solid winning streak that stretched back to her days with Invicta FC. Her recent wins came against former title challenger Taila Santos and ex-strawweight champion Jéssica Andrade.

Namajunas, meanwhile, is now 2-2 since moving up to flyweight after her second strawweight title reign came to an end. She lost to Fiorot last year in Paris but rebounded with wins over Amanda Ribas and Tracy Cortez in 2024.

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Brendson Ribeiro Scores Questionable Split Deicsion Over Caio Machado – UFC Edmonton Highlights

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton HighlightsBrendson Ribeiro edged Caio Machado in a three-round lightweight war at UFC Edmonton on Saturday night. It was a…

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton Highlights

Brendson Ribeiro edged Caio Machado in a three-round lightweight war at UFC Edmonton on Saturday night.

It was a battle for position in the early going with Ribeiro taking the center of the Octagon and leading the dance, but hesitant to let his hands go. Machado did an excellent job of keeping Ribeiro at bay with a variety of kicks to the head and body, but Ribeiro landed a clean right hand near the four-minute mark of the round that prompted Machado to retreat.

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton Highlights

It was without a doubt the best strike of the fight up to that point, but unlikely to steal the round as Machado was busier throughout the first five minutes.

Machado kickstarted the second with a stiff kick to the body and looked to get his hands going early. Unable to chase down his opponent halfway through the round, Ribeiro appeared to lose his patience and swung for the fences with a big overhand right that missed the mark. Machado made him pay for it with a solid straight left that landed clean.

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton Highlights

Things got a little wild in the closing seconds of the round, but both fighters hit nothing but air as they briefly threw caution to the wind.

Desperate to land a knockout shot in the third, Ribeiro swung for the fences with a slew of overhand rights and finally connected with one as we approached 90 seconds left in the fight. Machado fired back with a shot of his own that briefly took Ribeiro off his feet, and the final round came to an end with both fighters looking to leave a lasting impression on the judges.

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton Highlights

Official Result: Brendson Ribeiro def. Caio Machado via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro - UFC Edmonton Highlights

Check out highlights from Caio Machado vs. Brendson Ribeiro at UFC Edmonton: