Athletes
Brandon Moreno Is Still In His Prime
Two-Time Former Flyweight Champion Is Still In The Championship Picture at 125 Pounds, And Plans On Making A Statement Against A Rising Star At UFC 323
The UFC flyweight division is an exciting place to be as we head towards 2026, and former champion Brandon Moreno is right in the mix as he looks to fight his way back to the 125-pound summit.
Mexico’s Moreno takes on Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, with the former champ going head-to-head with the rising Japanese star in a fight that could potentially see the winner punch their ticket to a title shot next year.
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It’s a fight that pits one of the division’s established elite against one of the rising stars of a weight class that has undergone significant change in recent years, and Moreno is excited to mix it with the best as he looks to become a three-time flyweight champion.
“It's crazy,” he told UFC.com this week.
“I mean, first of all, there’s a lot of different names – new and younger fighters coming and showing their abilities with the company. And I'm just excited, right?
“It was almost 10 years ago when I did my UFC debut, and then I was expecting to fight with the biggest names, but I was trying to make a name by myself. But now, I’m like the veteran of the division, but still in my prime, trying to get the opportunity for the title.
“On this card, I’m gonna fight against Tatsuro Taira, a younger fighter who is super exciting to watch. He’s hungry, he’s ready to rock, he wants to be a champion. I think that makes everything more exciting.
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As well as being a fight between two of the top-ranked 125-pounders on the planet, it’s also a battle between youth and experience. Taira is still developing as a fighter as he climbs the flyweight ladder, while Moreno has been there, seen it and captured championship gold three times, with two undisputed titles sandwiching an interim title win.
Moreno may have the edge in experience, particularly at the very pinnacle of the sport, but the Mexican recognizes the challenge Taira will bring on fight night.
“He's a tough opponent,” he stated.
“I think he’s the new era of mixed martial arts fighters, you know? Super young, but super complete, super tough. I think that his main goal is the grappling, but he's not afraid to throw and exchange with his opponents.
“I saw it (in Taira’s fight) with Royval. In some points he had to respond in some different ways, sometimes with grappling, sometimes with striking, and he did it well.
“So my main goal for this fight is just to be focused every single time, because I know his goal is gonna be to take me to the ground and take my back. But I know he's still very dangerous with the hands, so I just (have to) focus every single time in the fight.”
In addition to the skills Taira will bring to the Octagon on fight night, the bout will also pose another test for Moreno. The former champion hasn’t fought a three-round bout since UFC 255 back in November 2020. His nine fights since then have all been contracted for five, five-minute rounds. It’s meant that Moreno has had to adjust his preparation and his pacing to adjust to the shorter course this time around.
“I had to be focused this training camp to always, every single time, whatever I was doing, start quicker,” he explained.
Crowning Moment | Brandon Moreno
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Crowning Moment | Brandon Moreno
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"Because normally I’m fighting for five rounds, so I have two extra rounds to take my distance, to measure my opponent. This time I have just three. If you lose one round, you're losing an important part of the fight, so I have to start quicker.”
In the grand scheme of things, it’s a relatively small adjustment to make for a fighter who has had to battle more than his fair share of adversity during his rollercoaster career.
And while he’s fought his way through and reached the pinnacle of the sport, he admitted that he needed the support of those closest to him after he found himself out of the UFC following back-to-back losses to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja in 2017 and 2018, respectively. That support helped him not just bounce back into the UFC, but make it all the way to the flyweight title.
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“You always have to believe in yourself, but being honest with you, that (time) when I lost against Pantoja and Pettis and the UFC released me … you have your doubts a little bit!” he admitted.
“But with the help of my friends, my family, my close circle, I got the motivation. ‘Now I have to be focused – this is a marathon, not a sprint. I have to keep going, and the belt is gonna come.’ And, thanks to God, the universe, destiny, whatever you want to call it, I did it.”
Having battled back from being cut to winning a UFC title, Moreno knows what it takes to make it to the top of the flyweight division. Now he plans to recapture that championship glory again.
And with the 125-pound division looking more exciting than ever, there’s no better time for “The Assassin Baby” to showcase his skills and earn himself another shot at championship gold.
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“The only thing I can do is be really focused to make an amazing performance on December 6, make a huge statement and make super clear on the table who is next for the title,” he said.
“Right now, the division is moving, finally! I think we passed a little season where the division was a little stuck. But now we have events like this one. The belt is going to be on the line, title contention is going to be on the line. Next week, we’re going to see Manel Kape against Brandon Royval. A few weeks ago, we saw Horiguchi. So now, it’s super exciting.”
UFC 323: Dvalishvili vs Yan 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 6, 2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!