Brandon Moreno Ends Short Time Away From MMA
Combat sports are something you have to be all-in or all-out on. Following a second straight split decision loss to a championship-level opponent, former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno decided he wanted to be out. The 5-foot-7 Mexican fighter needed to clear his mind and focus on what he needed to do in order to improve.
Moreno, 30, may need to tweak his style to make it more appealing to the judges. Many people who follow MMAfighting latest news believe that Moreno won his last fight, a split-decision loss to Brandon Royval, a fighter he previously beat. Royval pumped out an incredible volume of punches.
Royval didn’t land at a high rate, but he still earned the decision. When Moreno lost the belt at UFC 290, it was a split-decision defeat to Alexandre Pantoja. However, many people believed the right man won in that case.
Moreno, who is still ranked third in the flyweight division, announced his return and is preparing to take on the third-ranked contender Amir Albazi. Albazi doesn’t have the top-level experience that Moreno does and should produce an interesting fight.
What Sapped Moreno’s Energy?
Losing to Royval had to be a difficult pill to swallow. It was hard enough to lose in his home country to a fighter he had already defeated. But the way the judges scored the fight seemed to indicate Moreno needed to put in more effort. Royval only landed 28 percent of the significant strikes he threw.
Moreno landed nearly twice as many. However, Royval threw out 288 more significant strike attempts than Moreno did. Having that much volume going out impressed at least two of the judges, according to MMA news sites.
Moreno decided to step away due to the exhaustion the last few years had provided. Starting in December 2020, Moreno had four fights with Deiveson Figueiredo over the flyweight belt. Moreno would capture the championship twice.
However, Moreno couldn’t defend the title. He lost to Figueiredo at UFC 270 during his first defense and to Pantoja during his second. Moreno would like to find a way to reach the top of what is an exciting title picture.
Albazi is a Compelling Challenger
This is Amir Albazi’s chance to prove he deserves to be at the top of the UFC rankings. Everything that the Iraq native has displayed so far shows that he has plenty of talent. But beating a championship-level contender is a different challenge entirely.
Albazi has won all five of his fights on the UFC roster so far. However, injuries and other circumstances have prevented Albazi from being as active as the promotion would like. Since joining the UFC in 2020, Albazi has never fought more than twice in a year.
MMA latest updates indicate that a neck injury played a role in Albazi’s absence from several fights. Albazi will be in a difficult position for this fight, as Moreno has plenty left in the tank and is a good grappler and striker. Albazi has proven himself to be excellent on the ground with nine submissions.
Alabazi is coming off a controversial win over Kai Kara-France. The striking battle was intense, but the judges sided with Albazi’s power in a razor-close decision.
Moreno is Great Story of Battling Adversity
Back-to-back losses in 2018 ended up placing Moreno on the unemployment line. Following those losses to Pantoja and Sergio Petti, Moreno got his walking papers from the UFC. In order to stay active, Moreno went to the Legacy Fighting Alliance and won their flyweight championship in June 2019.
But Moreno would never get the opportunity to defend his belt. The UFC came calling shortly after his win in LFA. After a disappointing draw with Askar Asakarov when he came back, Moreno would roll up three wins over Kara-France, Jussier Formiga, and Royval to finally earn a shot at Figueiredo for the UFC belt.
The first championship fight between Moreno and Figueiredo ended with a draw. Figueiredo likely would have won the fight had he not been deducted a point for low blows. When the two men rematched at UFC 263, Moreno wrapped up a third-round submission to become champion for the first time.
Moreno Wants to Reach the Top Again
The flyweight division is in a good period right now. There are several top contenders who have plenty of experience and have been around the block more than a few times. Moreno has plenty of history with Pantoja.
The two fighters have fought three times, twice on the UFC roster and once in an exhibition fight on The Ultimate Fighter. Pantoja won all three bouts, but Moreno was close to getting his first victory in the last fight. With a win over Albazi, there will be a few interesting routes Moreno could take.
He could have a trilogy fight with Royval or have a rematch with Kara-France, who Moreno beat to win the interim title a few years ago.
Moreno Being Back is Good For Sport
MMA breaking news showing Moreno being willing to come back for at least one more fight is news that should be well-received. Moreno has more than 30 professional fights under his belt but is only 30 years old. If Moreno still has a passion for competition, this should be a fun return.
However, Moreno needs to make sure he is still competing for the right reasons. Getting old in combat sports is more difficult than other sports. Because of the violent nature of the sport, Moreno could be putting himself in harm’s way if he returns despite still having thoughts about stepping away from the sport.
The Assassin Baby is ready for his return. Albazi will be under a lot of pressure to beat Moreno. If Albazi can earn the victory, it will have an important influence on the direction of his career.
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By Dean McHugh.
