As the first Mexican-born fighter to secure gold in the UFC, the tour Brandon Moreno took in his home country resulted in an honorary visit from President Lopez Obrador.
Brandon Moreno met Deiveson Figueiredo for a second time at the successful UFC 263: Adesanya vs. Vettori 2 PPV. Since their first meeting was hailed to be the fight of the year by many, the anticipation to see Moreno and “Deus da Guerra” again was at an all-time high. Prior to Moreno meeting Figueiredo, it seemed like the champion was unaccustomed to any sort of pushback or resiliency as Figueiredo walked flyweights down one by one to the slaughter.
That all changed last December when Brandon Moreno and Figueiredo met in a near-silent Apex Facility amidst the worldwide pandemic. While Deiveison retained his flyweight strap via majority draw, the toughness of Moreno certainly gave way to questions about the longevity of Figueiredo’s title reign.
As a result, Moreno came prepared for the second fight and showed out with a rear-naked choke finish in the third round to silence any doubt about who is the more skilled athlete.
After Moreno’s huge victory, he became the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion. Brandon Moreno propelled the flyweight division to new heights, and even the President of Mexico is taking notice of his positive influence and special fighting spirit.
The Mexican president complimented Moreno’s perseverance and his willingness to achieve excellence. The top political figure also paid respect to Brandon Moreno’s courage to chase his dreams. In the end, President Lopez Obrador understands that Brandon Moreno is now a beacon of Mexican pride.
If “The Assassin Baby” can continue his dominance at 125 lbs., perhaps the growing trend of Mexican fighters making it to the top of the UFC will continue. After all, last weekend saw Sinaloa’s Irene Aldana pick up a TKO finish with her powerful hands against Yana Kunitskaya.
Do you think we will see a growing number of Mexican fighters join the UFC in 2021?
