The UFC just told ESPN reporter, Brett Okamoto, that the trilogy of Moreno vs Figueiredo will happen on UFC 269. Both fighters have already fought twice back to back and a third fight is on its way. Although Alexandre Pantoja was supposedly the original opponent the UFC was aiming for, the timeframe did not work for Pantoja.
The trilogy is on. Brandon Moreno will defend his title against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 269 on Dec. 11. UFC looked into booking Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, but Pantoja won’t be ready before end of the year. Moreno wanted to be active and was willing to fight any challenger. pic.twitter.com/8DqG9coYWR
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) September 16, 2021
The fight did not make sense in the first place as the rematch was pretty much one-sided. A rematch was supposed to be done since the first fight ended in a draw but in the rematch, Moreno beat Figueiredo wherever the fight went. Moreno improved a lot so it would have been better if Moreno tried to avenge his loss against Pantoja but Moreno wanted to be active and that speaks highly.
When Brandon Moreno won the belt, he instantly became a huge star in Mexico as he became the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion. He received huge praise, even went to meet Mexican star, Canelo Alvarez. If Moreno defends his belt numerous times, he will undoubtedly become one of the biggest stars, especially in Mexico since it is a country that loves combat sports.
As for Figueiredo, he was really in luck as now he has a chance to regain what was his and did not need to climb again to get a title shot. Although a loss here would push him down would make him much farther than his current spot right now.
Some fans thought that Figueiredo would dominate the division for quite a while since he is a much bigger and stronger fighter than most of the contenders but Moreno came in had a different plan.
Who knew that after Demetrious Johnson leaving the flyweight division, we would have many title switches. When DJ lost his belt against Cejudo, a rematch made sense since it was 1-1, plus it was a split decision. Cejudo then vacated the belt, which in turn Figueiredo won the vacant belt.
Figueiredo’s last wins against Benavidez and Perez were so dominant that it led to many thinking he will dominate the division for a long time. Moreno swooped in, showed tremendous heart in the first fight, and in the second showed great adjustments.
Without a doubt, the flyweight is one of the divisions that is taking notice right now. They may be small but they compensate it with skill and speed. They may not hit the hardest but they still have knockouts, submissions, and wars. Cody Garbrandt is also looking to move down and try to join the club of two-division champions.
