Brandon Moreno is now the UFC interim flyweight champion. His win over Kai Kara-France at UFC 277 solidified his place among the best in the division and has set up an immediate rematch with the champion Deiveson Figueiredo. That fight will be happening at a later date, but now Moreno is reflecting on how he feels he has changed over the course of his career.
Moreno came into the UFC back in 2016, during his tenure the UFC flyweight division came close to being on the chopping block. Dana White was unhappy with the state of the UFC flyweight division and there were rumors that the entire division would be eliminated. Shortly after that time, Moreno fought Kai Kara-France for the first time. He recalls thinking that in that bout he was fighting to prove that he belonged in the UFC and now as the interim title fight played out he was fighting to prove that he is champion material. He explained all this in an interview on The MMA Hour.
“This one is very special. Especially in my soul because it confirmed to me I’m a real champion,” Moreno said. “It’s crazy how this works because when I fought against Kai Kara-France the first time I tried to show the world I deserve to be in the company right? And in this fight against Kai Kara-France,the second one I was trying to show to the world I deserve to be the best. I deserve to be the world champion of the world.”
Brandon Moreno knows he is getting better by the day and wants to prove he is the best at 125 pounds
It was following the first fight with Kara-France that Moreno went on his championship run. He fought Figueiredo three times in a row, becoming the first ever Mexican-born champion along the way. He went from a kid on The Ultimate Fighter to UFC champion. Moreno knows he has grown a great deal in his six years with the company and is still getting better. He will look to put away any doubts when he challenges Figueiredo for the undisputed title at a later date.
