![]() ![]() As the round wore on, it became evident that Moreno had an answer to whatever Figueiredo was throwing at him, and the confidence he started the night with only grew. ![]() But Moreno not only defended the submission, he also reversed position and started working toward a tapout try of his own. The challenger got taken down and twice was threatened by the champ's ironclad guillotine choke. Figueiredo showed urgency starting Round 2, and Moreno didn't flinch. By the time the horn sounded, Moreno had a 25-7 edge in significant strikes. And when a Moreno jab sent Figueiredo to the canvas late in the first round, the challenger was in control. That started to show fairly early in the fight, as Moreno's aggression put the champ on the defensive. He displayed skills and tenacity in both the standup and the grappling that kept him a step ahead of Figueiredo. It wasn't just the mental game, though, that made Moreno a champ. He fought with confidence right from the start. So maybe Moreno had something to prove on Saturday to the masses, but he sure didn't look like he needed to prove something to himself. One judge even scored the fight for the Brazilian fighter despite the point deduction. Wagenheim: The narrative coming out of the first meeting between Moreno and Figueiredo was that the draw came about only because of a foul by the champion, that Figueiredo would have won the December bout if not for losing a point to a third-round low blow. Moreno's game plan executed to perfection The possibilities are endless, and the UFC has to be incredibly excited about what the future could hold in that key market. And by young Mexican athletes seeing what he has done, more could choose MMA over boxing. That's what the future could look like for Moreno, perhaps even bigger. I've been with Velasquez in Mexico City, and he can't walk around there without people flocking to him for photos or autographs. Cain Velasquez was a massive deal in Mexico, even though he was born in the United States. Moreno has all the ingredients - from fighting style to personality - to be the UFC's first Mexican-born superstar. He showed that against the very dangerous Figueiredo on Saturday night. He never stops coming forward and he's a finisher. ![]() "Mexican style" is a real thing, and Moreno embodies that. ![]() Mexico is still a boxing country - and it likely always will be - but it's also a country with people who love and appreciate combat sports. Him being champion should only take that to the next level. Moreno is from Tijuana, and his Entram gym there is in a boom period since he started to have success in the Octagon. More importantly, this is a huge deal for the UFC in Mexico. And by winning at UFC 263 and becoming champion, he seems well positioned to become a viable headliner in the Southwest and California. He was getting cheers at the news conference and weigh-ins at a level that was not far off from much more established stars such as Diaz and Adesanya. But the city, which has a large Mexican-American population, quickly embraced him. I was surprised with the reactions Moreno, who is relatively new to the spotlight, was getting this week in Phoenix. He's incredibly likeable, has a unique charisma and an underdog spirit that one cannot help but root for. Raimondi: Moreno is now the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion, and the promotion could not have asked for a better one. Moreno is the perfect champion to put Mexico on the MMA map Marc Raimondi, Jeff Wagenheim and Brett Okamoto react to the top two fights at UFC 263. In the Octagon with his family and his new UFC championship, Moreno, with tears in his eyes, poured his heart out, and a new star in the sport was born. Sure, Nate Diaz's late rally against Leon Edwards had the arena buzzing, but it was Moreno's victory that brought the emotions in the building to a new level. Figueiredo lost to Moreno in a brilliant performance for the new Mexican flyweight champion. His attack on Vettori's lead leg and takedown defense kept him one step ahead of his opponent. Deiveson Figueiredo aimed to prove that a trip to the hospital before the night of their first flyweight title fight was the only reason why Brandon Moreno came close to beating him before both fighters settled for a majority draw.Īdesanya was successful, earning a clear, decisive victory over Vettori to focus the spotlight on his dominance at 185 pounds. Middleweight champion Israel Adesanya faced Marvin Vettori, looking for a more definitive victory than the split decision he won in their first fight in 2018. Rematches were the theme of the title fights at UFC 263 on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona. UFC 263 takeaways: Brandon Moreno poised to be a star, Israel Adesanya's old foe is back You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser ![]()
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