Moreno Stops Skid With Split Win Over Morales
Brandon Moreno snapped a two-fight losing streak Saturday night with a split decision win over Joseph Morales in the Noche UFC co-main event in Glendale.
Two judges scored the flyweight bout 30-27 for the former champion, while a third had it 29-28 for Morales. Moreno shrugged off the discrepancy afterward. "That's kind of weird but at the end, I won," he told reporters, per MMA Fighting. "I'm going to celebrate with my people. Viva Mexico!"
Moreno Mixed Fast Hands With Late Grappling
Moreno opened the fight with quick boxing combinations, landing a sharp left hook during early exchanges, according to BJ Penn's round-by-round coverage. Morales fired back with stiff left hands and connected on a right that wobbled Moreno midway through the bout. The second round saw Morales outwork the former champ with a spinning backfist and uppercut before Moreno shifted gears in the final frame. He reversed an early takedown attempt and later secured his own, controlling Morales on the mat until the horn.
The win moves Moreno to 24-10-2 and positions him to climb back into the flyweight top 10. Morales, who entered on a five-fight streak, drops to 14-4 with the loss. Moreno had dropped consecutive fights to Lone'er Kavanagh and Tatsuro Taira heading into Saturday.
Photo: DiarioMMA / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Original reporting:
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