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Brandon Moreno's stock has soared over the last year after he dethroned Deiveson Figueiredo to win the flyweight title at UFC 263. Dana White has named a fighter who he expects to have a similar rise this year.
During an interview with Barstool Sports, White was asked which fighter would have a rise similar to the Mexican. White found Khamzat Chimaev to be an easy pick and said:
"Obviously, the low-hanging fruit, the easy one to pick is probably Khamzat Chimaev. I mean if this guy fights three times this year, who knows what's possible with that kid."
Catch White's interview with Barstool Sports below:
Brandon Moreno on his rise as UFC champion
Apart from having a huge fan base among Mexicans, Brandon Moreno is also popular among Lego fans. However, unprecedented media attention can definitely overwhelm a champion at times. 'The Assassin Baby' claims he tried to find some balance amidst all the attention after winning the championship. Moreno said:
"When I felt the weight of the belt on my shoulder, it was so special. Then the energy of all the people around the arena, wow, man. After that, interviews, social media was crazy, a lot of travel, media tours. Everything changed. I’m trying to be calm and put some balance in my mind, but definitely, everything changed."
Being the first Mexican-born UFC champion, Moreno also feels like he is carrying the weight of an entire nation. He explained:
"Sometimes, I feel all the weight of my country on my shoulders and sometimes that makes me feel scared to disappoint all my people in my country. But, at the same time, I feel so much motivation because I’m part of history right now."
Moreno added:
"I don’t care what happens in the future. I’m part of history, and in my country, I know I can inspire a lot of the coming generations to start trying to practice this sport. This journey started just with me and my own dreams. But right now, I know I have the opportunity to grow the sport in my country.”
Brandon Moreno is scheduled to defend his flyweight strap against Deiveson Figueredo in a highly anticipated trilogy bout at UFC 270.
