Where does Brandon Moreno go from here? Exploring the implications of his loss to Brandon Royval
UFC Mexico has just wrapped up, and Brandon Moreno headlined the event alongside Brandon Royval. Their bout was a rematch nearly four years in the making, and it delivered in every sense of the word, with both men showcasing their massively improved skill sets.
Unfortunately, what was meant to be a title eliminator to fling 'The Assassin Baby' back into title contention turned out to be a deflating evening in front of his Mexican faithful. He was handed a controversial split-decision loss by the judges and now finds himself on a two-fight losing streak.
It is the first time that Moreno has been on a losing streak. Furthermore, he has now lost to the flyweight champion and the #3 ranked fighter in the division. So, what happens now?
Brandon Moreno finally exits the UFC flyweight title picture
Brandon Moreno has been a constant fixture in the flyweight title picture over the past three years or so. He was one-half of a widely-praised quadrilogy, the first of its kind, which involved Deiveson Figueiredo, with whom he played hot potato for the division's championship.
Their first bout ended in a majority draw, although many felt that Figueiredo had done enough to win. Regardless, an immediate rematch took place, which saw 'The Assassin Baby' emerge victorious to crown himself the first Mexican UFC champion. Naturally, a trilogy bout followed.
This time, Moreno dropped the title to Figueiredo before earning a second title shot by beating Kai Kara-France in an interim title bout. Moreno won the fourth bout, reclaiming the flyweight strap. However, when tasked with defending the title, he failed, losing to Alexandra Pantoja.
Following Moreno's title loss to the Brazilian at UFC 290, at the post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White entertained the idea of handing 'The Assassin Baby' an immediate title rematch. This, however, was met with skepticism from fans.
While popular, Moreno did not really deserve a shot like that. He has never defended his title despite being a two-time champion. Now, after his loss to Brandon Royval, he is finally out of the title picture, especially given the American's fiery post-fight interview calling out Pantoja.
The 125-pound weight class is no longer as thin as it once was, so there is no need to unjustly shove Moreno into the thick of things due to a lack of compelling matchups. Kara-France is now a recognizable name, especially with the attention his budding feud with Manel Kape has drawn.
Kape himself has become one of the most talked-about 125-pounders in the world. Amir Albazi is currently on a five-fight win streak in the promotion, and then there is the looming threat of an undefeated Dagestani wrestler in Mohammad Mokaev.
Moreno is no longer in a position where he can lose and fight for an undisputed or interim title in his next fight. Now, with the division deeper than it has ever been, Moreno must prove himself against a breed of rising contenders if he intends to fight for the title again.
Alternatively, he can follow his old rival Figueiredo to the bantamweight division, where several curious matchups await. A historic fifth fight with the Brazilian is on the cards. Possibly more compelling is a potential grudge match against Henry Cejudo, with whom 'The Assassin Baby' once had a friendship.
With both men fairly directionless, such a bout would spark tremendous intrigue. As for why he would move to bantamweight, Moreno looked noticeably more tired toward the end of his bout with Royval, which is unusual given that he is known for having a bottomless gas tank.
This most likely stems from his weight cut to 125 pounds proving difficult. So perhaps a move to bantamweight could reinvigorate him.