Brandon Moreno is reportedly now set as the backup fighter of the Alexandre Pantoja vs. Brandon Royval fight at UFC 296 on December 16.
Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff was the first to share the news on X. UFC still hasn’t confirmed the matter, but recent reports claim sources have already affirmed Moreno’s role in the bout.
While Moreno will likely not enter the cage since backup fighters are usually just for emergency reasons, the role would give him a glimmer of hope to face the champ once again. It can be recalled that Moreno met the champion twice but lost in both fights in May 2018 and, most recently, in July.
Meanwhile, in case Pantoja is the one to withdraw from the fight, Moreno will certainly not have any issue in having a rematch against Royval. The two first entered the cage in November 2020, with Moreno winning over the opponent via TKO at the 4:59 mark of Round 1.
In the end, while his presence will indeed not be needed in the actual fight, Moreno has a safety net in Amir Albazi. The two are expected to face in a five-round co-main bout at a UFC Fight Night on February 24 when UFC returns to Mexico City. With this, while he likely won’t have a fight this month, the former two-time UFC Flyweight Champion still has a certain bout to look forward to early next year.
