Former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has his eyes on some prominent names following a return to winning ways this past weekend.
Moreno entered the Octagon at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night in Edmonton, Canada facing the prospect of the first three-fight losing skid of his professional career if things didn’t go his way. They did, however, go his way — and then some.
In Amir Albazi, the Mexican faced a surging contender who boasted a perfect 5-0 UFC record and had most recently climbed the ladder with a main event win over Kai Kara-France.
But “The Assassin Baby” wasn’t about to be the star at the expense of whom the Iraqi secured a title shot, instead firmly beating “The Prince” up across five rounds to secure a lopsided unanimous decision victory.
Having put his name back in the title mix at 125 pounds, Moreno assessed what could lie in his immediate future during his post-fight press conference in Edmonton.
Moreno welcomed the chance to settle the score in a trilogy with Royval. But he doesn’t share the same excitement when it comes to running it back with Kara-France, favoring first-time clashes with Tatsuro Taira or Kai Asakura should the latter fall short of the title at UFC 310 next month.
“I can get (a rematch) with Royval,” Moreno said. “I don’t want to fight with Kai again because I fought him twice and I beat him, but if I have to do that (I will). Tatsuro Taira is there. Kai Asakura, let’s see what happens there against Pantoja. If he loses, that can be the next one.
“I don’t know, let’s see what happens,” Moreno concluded.
While he expects to require another strong performance before earning a shot at regaining the flyweight crown yet again, he seemingly caught the eye of the division’s champion with his display in the “Great White North.”
Pantoja mixed praise with a small jibe toward the Mexican in a social media post, commending him for the victory but also referring to “The Assassin Baby” as his “son.”
