LAS VEGAS – UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno wants to close out his chapter with Deiveson Figueiredo in emphatic fashion.
With their series at a standstill, Moreno (19-5-2 MMA, 7-2-2 UFC) will meet Figueiredo (20-2-1 MMA, 9-2-1 UFC) in a trilogy bout that co-headlines UFC 270 on Jan. 22 in Aneheim, Calif.
After battling to majority draw in their first fight at UFC 256, Moreno got a second crack at the flyweight title when he immediately rematched Figueiredo at UFC 263. But this time, the Mexican star left no doubt by dominating Figueiredo to claim the title, and he hopes he won’t have to think about Figueiredo again after UFC 270.
“I think that is the goal for me right now for this fight and making a statement,” Moreno told MMA Junkie. “Like, ‘Hey guys, Brandon Moreno is real. Brandon Moreno wants to take this division out completely.’ I’m excited for all the challenges because I’m ready.”
The pair originally were scheduled to square off at this past Saturday’s UFC 269, but they were rescheduled for a month later. That means Moreno will have only competed once in 2021, which doesn’t sit well with the champion.
“At first I was a little disappointed because that competitive part of you wants to fight a lot,” Moreno said. “I have just one fight this year, and I wanted to fight in December because I have two years in a row fighting in December and winning and enjoying Christmas with my family and everything. But right now I’m fighting in January, my first time fighting in January, so I need to make diet, increase mass and all that stuff so that I know it will be hard, but I don’t care. I just want to keep my belt with me and more because this is in Anaheim. Anaheim is so close to my hometown, Tijuana.”
Despite fighting just once in 2021, Moreno walked home with three trophies at the World MMA Awards this past Friday, winning “Fight of the Year” for his title-winning performance against Figueiredo, the “Fighting Spirit Award” and the “Breakthrough Fighter of the Year.”
UFC champ Brandon Moreno’s goal in Deiveson Figueiredo trilogy is ‘making a statement’
