"If the goal was to assure you aren’t headlining, example set" - Chael Sonnen unforgiving towards Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo not selling their fight right
Rivals Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo showed respect towards one another at the recently concluded UFC 277 pay-per-view. However, that's not the best way to sell a fight, feels Chael Sonnen. Moreno defeated Kai Kara-France via third-round TKO in the co-main event of UFC 277 to become the interim flyweight champion.
With the win, he's managed to set up a title unification bout with Figueiredo, whom he's already fought on three occasions previously. During his post-fight octagon interview with Joe Rogan, Moreno called Figueiredo inside the octagon. The pair shook hands and respectfully agreed to fight each other in Brazil.
WE'VE GOT A FIGHT. 🏆
For the first time, the quadrilogy will go down between Figueiredo & Moreno for all the gold! #UFC277 https://t.co/q78p9uJY9f
Sonnen didn't like seeing the two rivals shaking hands and being respectful to one another. In a series of tweets, 'The American Gangster' claimed that the pair ensured that they wouldn't be headlining a pay-per-view event. He added that despite being the best fighters in the flyweight division, Moreno and Figueiredo won't generate interest in their quadrilogy fight because of a lack of animosity:
"If the goal was to ASSURE you aren’t headlining, EXAMPLE set."
"“Honey watch,” I’m gonna show ya how to be the BEST and UNNOTICED. “It’s hard, but I got this...”"
"Let’s take it to Brazil! We need a few things. Cage, ref, judges, a MAIN EVENT.”
If the goal was to ASSURE you aren’t headlining, EXAMPLE set.
“Honey watch,” I’m gonna show ya how to be the BEST and UNNOTICED. “It’s hard, but I got this..”
“Let’s take it to Brazil! We need a few things. Cage, ref, judges, a MAIN EVENT.”
Brandon Moreno explains why he was respectful towards Deiveson Figueiredo in the aftermath of UFC 277
Brandon Moreno stated that he had initially planned to call out Figueiredo in wild fashion but later decided against it. Although he was respectful towards 'Deus da Guerra' during the post-fight octagon interview, Moreno admitted there was bad blood between the pair.
Moreno said that when he saw Figueiredo in the lobby of the hotel in Dallas where the fighters were staying, he felt anger towards his former opponent. However, following the fight, Moreno realized that his daughter would be watching and wanted to set an example for her and the rest of his family instead.
During the post-fight press conference, Brandon Moreno said:
"I promise I was like ready to throw everything against him in that moment. He was in Dallas since like two days ago, I saw him in the lobby in the hotel and I was ready to take the mic and [scream] 'Let's go [expletive], let's go' but man, everything I say what's real... When my older daughter, who is eight years old and now she understands everything or not but she will understand and I don't know, I knew I had the opportunity to be a better example for her."
Watch Brandon Moreno's post-fight press conference below: