WATCH: Brandon Moreno shares heartwarming moment at UFC 283 backstage with potential next contender Alexandre Pantoja
Brandon Moreno finally put his rivalry with Deiveson Figueiredo to rest and he did it in style. 'The Assassin Baby' cliched a third-round TKO win over 'Deus da Guerra' at UFC 283 as the cage-side doctor called a stop to the contest in between rounds due to Figueredo's eye injury. Figueiredo's eye was completely swollen shut after being hit with a left hook. With the win, Moreno became a two-time UFC flyweight champion.
After his unfortunate loss against arch-rival Moreno, Deiveson Figueiredo announced that he would be moving up to bantamweight for his future fights. Interestingly, the Mexican's next potential opponent, Alexandre Pantoja, was among those who met with the newly minted champion backstage to congratulate him.
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In a video shared on Twitter by ESPN Deportes, Pantoja can be seen sharing a heartwarming moment with Moreno, hugging him and congratulating him for reclaiming the title.
Alejandre Pantoja congratulates Brandon Moreno after becoming the undisputed champion. He weighed as an alternate for #UFC283 and seems to be the next in line
@ESPNDeportes https://t.co/GG5Pjr9lgC
However, during the post-fight press conference for the event, the flyweight champion revealed that even though his backstage interaction with the No.2-ranked contender started courteously, it quickly turned sour as 'The Cannibal's demeanor became more aggressive.
Watch Brandon Moreno talk about Alexandre Pantoja below:
Pantoja weighed in as a backup fighter for the UFC 283 flyweight title clash and, in all probability, seems to be next in line for the title shot. 'The Cannibal' is 25-5 as a mixed martial artist and occupies the No.2 spot on the flyweight ladder.
The Brazilian is currently on a three-fight win streak and secured a first-round submission victory over Alex Perez in his most recent fight at UFC 277.
Alexandre Pantoja not impressed with Brandon Moreno's performance at UFC 283
Alexandre Pantoja was unimpressed with Brandon Moreno even after the latter's title win at UFC 283.
During an interview with ESPN's Megan Olivi at the event, 'The Cannibal' reminded everyone that he already holds two wins over the flyweight kingpin. The 32-year-old then proceeded to call out 'The Assassin Baby,' saying that he was willing to fight him anywhere. The Brazilian added that he was going to get a finish over the Mexican when they meet again in the octagon:
"I'm not impressed, you know... I want to call him [out]... I'm fighting with you, whatever the place he wants, if you want to go to Mexico, whatever the place [is] you know... I think that fight makes sense now... I [have] won [against] him two times... He is a tough kid but all the time I see in his eyes; I see he is afraid... Definitely, I'm [going to] finish this guy."
Watch Alexandre Pantoja call out Brandon Moreno below: