Brandon Moreno wants to slow things down and fight smarter in second UFC stint

LAS VEGAS – Brandon Moreno beat Kai Kara-France with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC 245 in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Moreno, who got back in the win column after a draw earlier this year in his return to the UFC after a fight outside the promotion.

Result: Brandon Moreno def. Kai Kara-France via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Moreno (16-5-1 MMA, 4-2-1 UFC), Kara-France (20-8 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Key stat: In a close fight, Moreno had a slight 91-82 edge in the striking department.

Moreno on the fight’s key moment

“I know the first round was hard, but I wanted to feel his power. I tried to feel it a little bit. The second and third round, I put all the pressure on my opponent. His persistence was amazing because I put a lot of punches on his face.”

Moreno on getting his first win after coming back

“I feel amazing. I feel a lot of peace in my heart. Last year, the UFC released me, and that was a really dark part of my life. I went to fight in LFA and became their flyweight champion and started to feel better, but I always wanted to come back to UFC. I came back in September and got the draw, so it wasn’t as sweet. But now I’m back with my first official win again and I’m happy.”

Moreno on what he wants next

“I’m going to try and take everything with baby steps from now on and focus on every little thing. One or two years ago, I was the top prospect in the division. But then they released me and it humbled me. Now I’m trying to be smarter and just focus on what is next. I’m No. 5 in the (UFC) rankings, so I know the next fight will be really, really hard. But I’m ready for this.”

To hear more from Moreno, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.