UFC suspension costs coach James Krause a former champion student
UFC Interim flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has decided to switch gyms amid the James Krause betting scandal.
Moreno, a former flyweight champ himself, is set to face long-time rival Deiveson Figueiredo later this month at UFC 283. The bout pits the pair together once again for the flyweight title as their head-to-head is currently tied at 1-1-1. It will be a record-breaking fourth time that the two will have faced one another inside the octagon.
Prior to their fourth contest, however, 'The Assassin Baby' worked under James Krause and his Glory MMA gym before the UFC Vegas 64's betting scandal. The organization ruled that no fighter would be allowed to enter the cage working alongside Krause in the future, meaning Moreno has had to find a new coach.
| Brandon Moreno has been training with Saif Sayoud, head coach of Fortis MMA, since James Krause was suspended by the UFC.
🚨| Brandon Moreno has been training with Saif Sayoud, head coach of Fortis MMA, since James Krause was suspended by the UFC.
[per The MMA Hour]
#UFC283 #UFC #MMA https://t.co/C9nqrZQUgO
On this week's episode of The MMA Hour, Brandon Moreno confirmed that he was in fact working with a new team. According to Moreno, the decision to find a new camp was hard but was ultimately one he had to make:
“It was hard when everything started. Of course, everything was a little bit hard… I had a long conversation with James. He told me all of the situation, and I understood, but at that moment, I decided to turn the page quickly and decide what I wanted to do…”
Catch the clip here:
youtu.be/8FFpJrQbHgkBrandon Moreno talks about having to change coaches ahead of UFC 283 #TheMMAHour
"It was hard when everything started, of course... I had a long conversation with James [Krause]. He told me the whole situation and I understood."
▶️ youtu.be/8FFpJrQbHgk https://t.co/DSep1AXBLr
Brandon Moreno discusses what it's like switching camps so close to UFC title fight
On the same episode of The MMA Hour, Brandon Moreno shared details into what it's like switching fight camps so close to a fight.
According to 'The Assassin Baby', Krause's suspension was close enough to his record fourth bout with 'Figgy' that their gameplan had already been devised. The 29-year-old stated that he and his team were already working on their strategy and made the decision to work with Sayif Saud at Fortis MMA to only better his chances at UFC 283:
“The good part was that the gameplan was already done, so man, I was ready to go by myself with my coaches. Go straight to Rio and take the fight… I’m ready to fight. All of this training camp, I feel like the best training camp of my life because it was hard, but at the same time, it was a very smart training camp…”
Moreno's last walk to the octagon was alongside James Krause at UFC 277 where he won the interim flyweight title and a Fight of the Night bonus vs. Kai-Kara-France.