After taking some time off, Brandon
Moreno came back looking rejuvenated at
UFC Edmonton.
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The former flyweight king outstruck Amir Albazi
for the better part of five rounds in a clear-cut unanimous
decision triumph in Saturday’s headliner at Rogers Place in
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Albazi, who lost for the first time in
six Octagon appearances, was unable to match his Mexican opponent
during exchanges on the feet, and he was also unable to ground
“Assassin Baby.”
For Moreno, it was a much-needed return to the win column after
back-to-back losses. Those struggles prompted him to announce in
March that he would be
taking a break from MMA to allow his body and mind to rest.
“What can I say? I feel just amazing, All the vibes, all the
environment around my training camp was on point. It was just
perfect. I wanted to show that in my performance tonight, and I
feel I did it,” Moreno said at the post-fight press conference.
“I felt so connected, and I felt all the pieces were in the right
place. It was a dominant performance, and this is the kind of
performance I know I’m able to do in my next fights.”
Moreno will undoubtedly be an interested observer when Alexandre
Pantoja defends the flyweight crown against newcomer Kai Asakura
at UFC 310
next month. The 30-year-old Fortis
MMA product is taking a realistic view of his title hopes given
the current climate of the flyweight division. He is 0-2 against
Pantoja, with a third, unofficial loss coming on Season 24 of “The
Ultimate Fighter.”
“I want to be honest with myself, I think, maybe, I have to fight
one more time before the title,” Moreno said. “But I don’t know
what the UFC is thinking right now. Maybe they got so impressed
with the performance tonight and say, ‘Maybe he can get the title
next.’ I know [Brandon] Royval is there. Kai
Kara-France is trying to get the opportunity for the title
next. So, I don’t know. I’ll be ready for whatever.”
In addition to his fights with Pantoja, Moreno has plenty of
experience against the rest of the division’s top contenders. He is
1-1 against Royval, including a split-decision loss on Feb. 24.
He’s also 2-0 against Kara-France in UFC competition. There are
also new foes such as Asakura and Tatsuro
Taira. While some possibilities interest him more than others,
Moreno is willing to take whatever the promotion might offer.
“I can get [a rematch] with Royval,” Moreno said. “I don’t want to
fight with Kai again because I fought him twice and I beat him, but
if I have to do that [I will]. Tatsuro Taira is there. Kai Asakura,
let’s see what happens there against Pantoja. If he loses, that can
be the next one. I don’t know, let’s see what happens.”