Going in as underdog for a title fight, Brandon Moreno defied the odds by finishing Figueiredo in the third round. Many thought that Figueiredo would have been a champion for a long time as he was running through his opponents easily.
The first fight ended in a draw but Figueiredo came up with an excuse saying he was sick prior to the fight. Their first encounter was widely regarded as the greatest UFC fight in the division’s history.
In the rematch, he guaranteed that he will stop Moreno but that was not the case. Moreno made great adjustments, one of which is starting aggressive in the early rounds and also mix in takedowns or grapple with Figueiredo.
Moreno managed to clip Figueiredo in the first round that knocked him down. Moreno also showed that he is better not only in striking but also grappling as he reversed the positions easily. Once Moreno got the back Figueiredo in the third round, it was a matter of time until Moreno sank in a rear naked choke to win the title.
After the fight was stopped by the referee, Moreno did not believe it at first but later sinked in. He cried and showed heavy emotions, thinking his hard work paid off and now he is the new UFC flyweight champion. One of the most inspiring stories.
What many don’t know is that Moreno was cut from the UFC back in 2018. After losing to Alexandre Pantoja, the UFC decided to cut Moreno. He later signed a contract with Legacy Fighting Alliance where defeated Maikel Pérez by TKO.
He then returned and went on a streak before fighting for the title. He did get one split draw and Askar Askarov but other than that he won all of his fights. Moreno is an inspiration to those upcoming fighters that had tough losses. Never gave up on his career and it later paid dividends. With a country of Mexico behind him, Moreno may become a massive UFC star.
