Brandon
Moreno is tired of waiting for his next Octagon assignment and
wants to return to action as soon as possible.
Moreno injured his hand in his split-decision title loss to
Alexandre
Pantoja at UFC 290 in July. The defeat marked Moreno’s second
career loss at the hands of “The Cannibal.”
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However, while Moreno has fully recovered from the injury, there
has been almost no talk of his next booking.
Moreno claims the
Ultimate Fighting Championship had reached out to him about a
fight against surging contender Amir Albazi
(17-1) in December but nothing concrete was laid out.
“They told me, Amir. They told me about December, but nothing was
real, nothing was official. So right now, I’m waiting for a
specific name to make it official. I know Amir is there. I think
it’s the most logical fight in line for me with Amir. The winner
can fight for the title in the next one. I know Amir is there,”
Moreno told MMA Junkie.
“The Assassin Baby” admits that the wait is frustrating at times,
especially considering how the UFC recently turned down his offer
to serve as the backup for the upcoming
UFC 296 title fight between Pantoja and Brandon
Royval.
“That’s the most frustrating part here, because I’m healthy. I’ve
been waiting for a fight. Actually, I put a little pressure with
the UFC like, ‘Hey, I want to fight in December. I want to be
active.’ If they needed, I could be the replacement for the title
fight on Dec. 16, but they didn’t give me nothing. I tried to be
very stoic and calm and relaxed. I’m just waiting for my moment.
I’ve been using all this time to improve myself.”
There have been rumors of the promotion’s possible return to Mexico
in 2024, which could be a reason for the delay in Moreno’s next
booking. While fighting in front of his home fans would be an honor
for the Tijuana native, returning to action at the earliest remains
his top priority.
“If it’s in Mexico in front of my people, it would be very cool.
Obviously, the altitude in Mexico City is a real challenge. I have
to be prepared for that. But I’m ready. I’ve been the champion in
the past and I know I can be the champion again. I just have to be
calm, focused and ready for whatever is happening in the future.
But January, February – I’m in,” the 29-year-old said.
Ranked No. 3 on the flyweight ladder, Iraq’s Albazi is undefeated
in five UFC outings and is coming off a split-decision win over
former interim title contender Kai
Kara-France in June.