Despite coming up short in his final contest of 2025 at UFC 323, Brandon Moreno can still lay claim to being called one of the greatest flyweight fighters in all of mixed martial arts history.
Brandon Moreno Faced Off With Surging Flyweight Hopeful in Las Vegas
Following a devastating loss to divisional nemesis Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 in 2023, Brandon Moreno attempted to put himself back into the championship picture seven months later when he met strong flyweight contender Brandon Royval, locking horns with the Factory X product in the main event of UFC Fight Night 237.
Coming down to the wire after five grueling rounds, it was the American who prevailed over the two-time 125-ln gold standard with a close split decision, with most pundits giving the bout to Royval.
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Brandon Moreno Took Pause from Fights After Royval Defeat
In the wake of the loss to “Raw Dawg,” Brandon Moreno announced that he would be stepping back from competition to focus on healing his body, as well as giving himself a mental reset after more than a few back-to-back high-profile fights, which included six consecutive flyweight championship matches. Making his return to the cage later in 2024, “The Assassin Baby” trounced the highly-touted grappler Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246, putting on a dominant striking clinic against “The Prince.”
Not waiting long to accept his next Octagon assignment, Moreno then faced off with previous flyweight title challenger Steve Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64. Looking as refreshed as ever, the Mexican near-handedly throttled the Aussie en route to a comfortable unanimous decision victory, setting the table for a possible title eliminator scrap at UFC 323 against Japanese juggernaut Tatsuro Taira.
Taira Embarked on Own Rebound at Flyweight
Barreling into the UFC in 2022, Taira had swiftly racked up a name for himself as an immaculate prospect at 125-lb. Winning his first five tilts in the company, four of which ended inside the distance, the Asian standout was gearing up for a seemingly fast road toward the belt.
That was until he ran into the always-game Royval in the headlining fight of UFC Vegas 98, with Taira losing for the first time in his professional career after suffering a close unanimous decision setback to the American.
Getting right back on track, Taira made his way back to the cage almost a year later, logging a second round submission win over the deadly Park Hyun-sung at UFC on ESPN 71. He then competed once more four months later at the final ESPN pay-per-view event in UFC history, UFC 323, where he positively bludgeoned former flyweight king Brandon Moreno, stopping him in the second with a hail of ruthless ground-and-pound after getting a hold of the Mexican’s back.
Brandon Moreno Still Considered All-Time Great in Flyweight Division
With his defeat at the fists and body lock of Taira earlier this month, Brandon Moreno’s title aspirations have likely been snuffed out for the long foreseeable future. The setback not only saw him fail to get his hand raised since early 2024, it was also the first time that he had ever been finished as a professional. Though he did get choked out by future flyweight titan Pantoja during their meeting on the Ultimate Fighter in 2016, the tournament was considered an exhibition, so the result did not count towards his post-amateur record.
However, while his recent stumble in the Octagon may reflect otherwise, Moreno is, by-and-large, one of the best flyweights in the history of the division. Initially going 3-2 in his first stint with the promotion before getting cut in 2018, “The Assassin Baby” quickly made his comeback at UFC on ESPN+ 17 after winning the LFA 125-lb strap in his next fight.
Taking Askar Askarov to a split draw in his return bout, Moreno earned his first UFC title opportunity a mere year and three months after rejoining the organization after recording a trio of stellar wins in a row over Kai Kara-France, Jussier Formiga and Brandon Royval.
Taking then-champion Deiveson Figueiredo to the scorecards, the scrap would end in a majority draw, earning him and his opponent Fight of the Night honors, with many fans calling it the greatest flyweight bout ever.
Where Does Brandon Moreno Go From Here?
This wouldn’t be the first time that the Mexican and the Brazilian traded blows, though, as the two men engaged in what still stands as the UFC’s first championship tetralogy. Over the next two years, Moreno and Figueiredo squared off three more times, with Brandon Moreno capturing “Deus Da Guerra”’s belt at UFC 263 before the previous incumbent won it back at UFC 270. They then battled for the last time at UFC 283, where Moreno closed the door on their rivalry with a splendid third-round stoppage.
Coming out on top over a bevy of top flyweight names since starting his second stint in the UFC six years ago, Moreno has etched his legacy into the annals of the sport’s history with a laundry list of magnificent accolades. Such feats include becoming the first Mexican champion in the promotion, becoming the first two-time men’s flyweight title-holder and having the most total fight time at 125-lb. Regardless of where his career goes from here, the 32-year old will always be held in the highest regards as an elite luminary in the weight class’s history.
