Brandon Moreno hopes relationship with mentor Joseph Benavidez stays intact if they fight

Brandon Moreno knows there’s a possibility that he could fight his good friend, Joseph Benavidez.

Benavidez is scheduled to rematch Deiveson Figueiredo on July 18 for the vacant UFC flyweight title, and top contender Moreno is aiming to fight the winner. Moreno (17-5-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) was coached by Benavidez on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016 and considers him a mentor.

Should Benavidez win the title, Moreno would have to fight him to fulfill his championship aspirations, and “The Assassin Baby” hopes his friendship with Benavidez wouldn’t be affected in the process.

“I knew Joe knew that it was a possibility in the future,” Moreno told MMA Junkie. “Right now I’m No. 3 in the rankings, and Joe maybe can be the next champion. So he knows, and I know, that we can fight each other, and it’s fine. It’s part of our job, but I hope my relationship with Joe won’t change after that. Even if he wins or I win in a possible fight with each other, I think we can still be really good friends.

“Joe, for me, is like a real mentor. He’s a really important part of my development like a professional fighter. It’s a sad moment in my career, but I love Joe, and I know it can be an amazing fight, so I’m just waiting for the result between them. So it’s hard, but it is what it is.”

In his second stint in the UFC, Moreno positioned himself as a top contender after notching back-to-back wins over Kai Kara-France and Jussier Formiga. With no fight currently booked, Moreno wants to sit out until he gets his crack at gold and is even willing to serve as a backup for the July 18 title fight.

“I think I’m ready for the fight for the title,” Moreno said. “I know the rematch between Figueiredo and Joe B. is on July 18, I think, so I’ll be ready for the time. So I need to wait for that rematch, and Pantoja and Askar Askarov will fight on the same card, so right now I’m in a little camp, and I’ll be ready if something happens in that fight. Figueiredo didn’t make weight last time, so I’ll be ready.”