Newly crowned UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno wants to defend his title as soon as possible. However, a trilogy fight with Deiveson Figueiredo is not something that interests him.
Moreno told the media earlier this week: “It’s obvious Figueiredo wants the next one because he lost the last one.
Moreno: Figureido needs to “earn” rematch
But man, the last fight, I dominated him, in the first round, in striking, in grappling, in wrestling, so obviously I’m open to fight again with him. But I think he needs to fight with somebody.”
Moreno and Figueiredo clashed twice before, with both fights widely considered instant classics. Their first bout ended in a draw back in December 2020, and their clash in June saw Moreno win via rear naked choke.
The UFC no doubt would love to see the trilogy sealed between two of the most thrilling warriors in the flyweight division, but Moreno himself is more interested in fighting somebody else for a change.
“I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder guy. I want to build a legacy. I don’t want to be that guy who won the fight against Deiveson, changed his life, and then started to lose. I don’t want to do that. So I need to take care of all the stuff I can control.”
Moreno, at only 27, is a member of the younger generation of MMA fighters who grew up watching the sport. He, like many of his vintage, knows how quickly fortunes can change in this sport, and how quickly champions can be dethroned.
“We can see in the history a lot of guys who get the gold and start to change a little bit and start to be assholes.
“I don’t want to be that guy. I was born in a very humble family that taught me a lot of good stuff in my life. I’m trying to have some fun with the people, too.
I love to be champion right now. But I can give you the belt right now.” Perhaps because of this insight, he wants Cody Garbrandt, former UFC golden boy, for a fight this year or next.
“Cody Garbrandt wants to come in to the division, and I know he’s not in the best part of his career, but he’s a good name. He’s a former champ. He has a really good brand behind him. He’s an option.”
Whatever’s next for Moreno, it’s clear that he is aware of his privileged position in the sport and is hungry for more. Do you want to see a Moreno v Figueiredo trilogy fight, or are you more interested in seeing Moreno show off his skills against another opponent? Let us know in the comments.
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