Tomorrow night in the main event of UFC Mexico, we are going to see a rematch in the flyweight division. Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno (21-7-2) will be fighting in front of his home country when he takes on former title challenger Brandon “Raw Dawg” Royval (15-7).
These two fought for the first time in November 2020 with Moreno picking up the TKO win. Granted, the win was largely due to a shoulder injury that Royval suffered which led to Moreno getting the stoppage. That win was Moreno’s third in a row at the time which led to his first fight against Deiveson Figueiredo and the rest is history.
The last time we saw Moreno was last July when he was looking to defend his title against Alexandre Pantoja. The two put on a helluva fight, but Pantoja got the split decision win. In Pantoja’s first title defense which took place at UFC 296 in December, he took on and dominated Brandon Royval.
The loss to Pantoja snapped a three-fight win streak for Royval which included back-to-back first round finishes. Amir Albazi was originally supposed to face Moreno tomorrow night, but after he pulled out, Royval jumped at this opportunity to get back in there and try to get back on the winning path.
UFC Mexico Prediction
I think this is going to be a sensational matchup where both men are going to have a lot of success. When things hit the mat, I think you’ll see incredible scrambles with both men trading a dominant position. However, while they’re on the floor, I see Moreno getting the top position more than him being on his back.
On the feet, Royval really needs to try to keep this fight at distance to use his long range weapons. Both men have speed, but I like Moreno’s ability to mix things up and the angles he takes. You’re going to see some incredibly close rounds throughout this matchup and I think the UFC Mexico headliner goes the distance.
That said, I like the former champion in this one. The championship experience is really going to play here and I just think he’ll land a few more shots and get a few more dominant positions which will sway the judges in the end.
Prediction: Brandon Moreno by Decision