This past weekend at UFC 270, we saw the third fight between Deiveson Figueiredo (21-2-1) and Brandon Moreno (19-6-2). Moreno was defending his title against the former champion who was seeking redemption.
The first fight took place back in December of 2020 with the two men fighting to a draw. Then, at UFC 263, Moreno completely dominated Figueiredo and became the flyweight champion of the world.
The third fight was much more like the first fight. In the first round, Moreno was looking sharp. His speed and power seemed to be bothering Figueiredo. However, the challenger was landing big power shots of his own.
In the third round, Moreno was dropped a couple of times by Figueiredo. Personally, I had it 2-2 heading into the final round at UFC 270. Moreno had a strong final minute, but overall, I felt that Figueiredo won the fifth round.
Given the fact that the fight was in California and Moreno was the champion, I expected Moreno win despite scoring it 3-2 Figueiredo. I was just as stunned as most to hear all three judges give the fight and the UFC flyweight championship to Deiveson Figueiredo.
What’s next after UFC 270?
The question now becomes, what’s next for Brandon Moreno? Well, there is a very easy answer to that question and the answer is to do the Figueiredo fight for a fourth time. So far in three fights, the series is 1-1-1.
After all of this time in the cage and after UFC 270, it feels like we still don’t have clarity as to who is the best flyweight in the world. Making the fourth fight makes sense, but also, it would continue to tie up the division.
There’s already whispers that the Kai Kara-France – Askar Askarov fight could produce the next flyweight challenger. Despite the series being even, Moreno might need one more win to secure the fourth fight with the champion.
If the UFC decides against the fourth fight, what fight makes sense for Moreno? There’s a clear answer to that as well and that’s Alexandre Pantoja (24-5). Originally, Pantoja was going to get the title shot against Brandon Moreno before Figueiredo would get his rematch.
However, Pantoja wouldn’t be ready in time due to injuries. With that, the UFC decided to pivot to the trilogy. The fight still makes sense for both men and if you count The Ultimate Fighter exhibitions, Moreno is 0-2 against Pantoja. Perhaps it’s time to run it back.