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UFC flyweight Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion after submitting Deiveson Figueiredo in round three of the UFC 263 co-main event.
The two first fought in the main event of UFC 256 in December 2020. The fight went the distance and was declared a draw as per the judges' scorecards.
The unique result, coupled with the thrilling nature of the fight, called for an immediate rematch, which UFC president Dana White confirmed after the fight was over.
Now that Brandon Moreno finally has UFC gold, he was asked whether he would like to defend it against Deiveson Figueiredo first, paving the way for an iconic trilogy fight.
Speaking to MMA Junkie's Nolan King, Moreno said-
"He [Deiveson Figueiredo] was very respectful after the fight. I want to keep that respect of him, you know. So, if you start to talk again about excuses, I don't have more comments about that. Talking about the fight, definitely, he is a former champ and the trilogy is a possibility. I need to talk with the UFC. First of all, I need to take some rest... we will see what's happening... Again, the trilogy with Figueiredo, but I think the fight was very dominant. So, maybe he needs to fight with another guy first. I don't know, man. We'll see what happens."
Brandon Moreno's performance in the rematch against Deiveson Figueiredo was indeed a dominant one.
On the feet, he outstruck the former champion 71-33 (47-24 sig. strikes). 'The Assassin baby' also outshone the BJJ master on the ground, scoring two takedowns compared to Figueiredo's one.
Moreno won the fight by forcing the Brazilian to tap out to a rear-naked choke midway through the third round.
Brandon Moreno names the fighters he could face next
Providing alternative names for his first title defense, Brandon Moreno said-
"Obviously, there are a few names there, the fight between Askar Askarov and Alex Perez, I think the winner can be the next one. Cody Garbrandt - he fought against Rob Font in his last one. He lost, but he is a former champ and he is always a possibility. Alexandre Pantoja is another possibility, too. He beat me in the past, you know."
Who do you think Brandon Moreno should fight in his first title defense? Let us know in the comments section!
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