This past Saturday at UFC 256, we got to witness the arguably greatest flyweight title fight in the history of the division. Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) and Brandon Moreno (18-5-2) went to war over five rounds.
Many people, including myself, believed that Moreno was a little out of his league entering UFC 256. I figured that Moreno would be more competitive than Alex Perez, but I didn’t think he would seriously challenge the champion, Figueiredo.
Boy was I wrong about that one. It was evident from the opening bell that Moreno was going to push the champion like no one has before. Figueiredo threw everything he had at Brandon Moreno at UFC 256.
Moreno ate power shots from the champion and just kept coming forward. He even took a massive shot to the groin which saw Figueiredo be docked a point which proved to be vital in the outcome of the fight.
Despite all of this, Moreno wouldn’t stop fighting at UFC 256. He kept pushing forward and throwing his own combinations. There were a couple of times throughout the fight where Figueiredo looked hurt and dejected because Moreno wouldn’t go away.
Moreno was searching to become the first Mexican born UFC champion on Saturday night. He fought with the Mexican warrior spirit on Saturday. In the end, the fight ended in a draw, but Moreno proved that he belonged.
Moreno’s UFC Journey
It’s been quite the journey for the UFC’s top flyweight contender. Back in 2016, Moreno was the lowest seed on The Ultimate Fighter’s 24th season. He was finished by Alexandre Pantoja in his first fight on the show.
He made his way into the UFC but was cut after he lost two consecutive fights. Moreno then went to LFA where he finished Maikel Perez which earned him a shot back into the big show.
After fighting Askar Askarov to a draw in his first fight back, Moreno went on to win three straight to earn himself the shot at UFC 256. Despite not getting his hand raised on Saturday, it was a shining moment for the flyweight that hails from Tijuana.
Dana White said after UFC 256 that Moreno would get a rematch with Figueiredo in 2021. Moreno has some work to do if he’s going to beat the champion. Had Figueiredo not been deducted a point, he would have won on Saturday.
Moreno is going to have to go back to the drawing board to figure out a game plan on how he can dethrone the flyweight king. It’s not going to be an easy thing to do, but if anyone’s capable of pulling it off, it’s Brandon Moreno.