Brandon Moreno isn’t tired of trading punches with Deiveson Figueiredo, at least not yet.
UFC 270 saw the flyweight greats go another five intense rounds, with Figueiredo emerging the victor by unanimous decision. Figueiredo captured a UFC title for the second time and earned his first win over Moreno in three meetings.
The Figueiredo-Moreno series is now tied 1-1-1, and while there’s a part of Moreno that wants to move on, his first priority is another fight with Figueiredo and a chance to become champion again.
“Even if I want to stop thinking about this guy, I really feel I won the fight, but the guy has the belt,” Moreno said on The MMA Hour. “I’m thinking the belt, who has the belt, it’s that guy, so I can’t stop thinking about this. Right now, I put my manager to work to push hard for the fourth one. His manager said that he couldn’t sleep until he got the fourth one. Right now, I am trying to recuperate my body because it has been a war and my body is exhausted as ever. It’s just a matter of recovering myself and being ready to move on.
” I would like to fight the fourth time. If it’s not happening immediately, I’m fighting with other guys, OK,” Moreno added. “But, I would like to fight Figueiredo so that we can finish the .”
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Never in UFC history have two fighters competed four times inside the octagon, much less four times in a row, as would be the case with Moreno and Figueiredo.
Their first fight took place at UFC 256 in December 2020, and Figueiredo retained by majority draw in a bout that saw him lose a point in the third round after striking Moreno in the groin. The second fight was more definitive, as Moreno dominated the majority of the contest before finishing Figueiredo with a rear-naked choke in Round 3.
Given that Figueiredo was allowed an immediate rematch off of that loss, Moreno doesn’t see why he can’t be afforded the same opportunity.
“Last time, I finished the guy badly and the UFC gave him immediately the rematch,” Moreno said. We now have a somewhat controversial fight. It’s possible, and I believe that it is.
“I’m putting all my energy to get that fourth fight. It’s crazy how everything is since 2020, since the first fight against him, the draw, the finish in Arizona, now this amazing fight in Anaheim. It makes perfect sense to me to go for the fourth .”
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The third fight was a back-and-forth battle that saw Moreno land more significant strikes but Figueiredo log three knockdowns, including two in Round 3. All three judges gave 48-47 scores to Figueiredo, with Rounds 4 and 5 being disputed.
After watching the fight back, Moreno still thinks he did enough to earn the decision.
” I really believe that I won that fight,” Moreno stated. “Every single round. Just kidding. But for sure I won the second, the fourth, and fifth. This is the clearest example I can give, referring to the third round. I am knocked out in that round six seconds prior to the final round. However, I watched the entire fight. I was, like, with a lot of volume, like a lot of pressure, with a lot of precision, like bam, bam, bam, bam. Although I know I may not have that power because I was not born with it, I am doing my job.
” I’m fighting, touching his face. A lot of technique. But the judges gave him the round just for one knockdown. So I connected with 15, 20 punches, but just one punch and then they change it. I do not know
One specific aspect of the fight Moreno was asked to address was the size disparity between the two as it was reported by the California State Athletic Commission that Figueiredo’s fight night weight was 15. 5 percent heavier after rehydration, making him seven pounds heavier than Moreno when they stepped into the cage.
To Moreno, there wasn’t much of a difference and if anything, he felt that Figueiredo was lighter than in their first two fights.
“Maybe in the first one when we fought in 2020, yes, it felt like he’s bigger than me,” Moreno said. “But I fought against him three times, it’s not a surprise for me. Actually, I think he was light, maybe in the other ones I felt he was, like, 150 in the other ones. It’s understandable that it might seem amazing to some people, but it seems like it’s because he is big .”
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Moreno recalls also being unusually animated at the bout’s end, and should another fight be scheduled, he does not plan on having anything left after the last buzzer.
” If you watch my fights I won’t jump on the octagon [fence],” Moreno said. “I don’t know why, but I never do it. It was all just a happy thing. I ran a bit in the Octagon, and showed people that my cardiovascular system is fine. This was another reason I felt frustrated by the decision.
“But this part, the frustration is against me. You have plenty of energy at the end of this fight, but maybe you could have spent a little more. Perhaps you could have spent a bit more .”
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