UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno spoke to MMA Junkie and expanded on what he hopes to accomplish as a UFC champion. Moreno became the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion when he defeated Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263 in Glendale, Arizona. Moreno’s historic title win was something to marvel at. Now, fans expect him to ascend to incredible heights.
‘The Assassin Baby’ carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders and he’s well aware of the eyeballs that will be on him. In fact, Moreno revealed that he wants to emulate the illustrious career of iconic Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez. Even non-boxing fans know who Cesar Chavez Sr is and Moreno wants to mirror his legacy in the sport of MMA.
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“I think first you have to contextualize what Julio Cesar Chavez means for my country, for Mexico. I know that he’s world-renowned and that everyone in the boxing world knows who Julio Cesar Chavez is. He’s a legend, and you reach legend status when people, regardless if they like boxing or not, know your name – people know Julio Cesar Chavez.”
“In Mexico, times that by the maximum, and to have someone like that have very nice words for you and recognize your name, it’s very special. I’ve said it before, I want to be the Julio Cesar Chavez of MMA. I want to be that point of reference, when people hear my name they say, ‘That guy is a legend in MMA; he revolutionized.’ Right now I want to evolve MMA in my country, and I hope to accomplish that.” [h/t MMA Junkie]
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Brandon Moreno: The highest highs
‘The Assassin Baby’ hasn’t lost a fight since May 2018 and is 5-0-2 since then. By beating a dominant force like Figueiredo in the way he did, he opened the eyes of many fans who thought he was just another contender.
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However, Moreno’s ceiling is largely unexplored, and he will have several game challengers take a run at him. There are many match-ups that the UFC can put together next and Brandon Moreno wants all the smoke he can find.
With a large market now open to the UFC, Brandon Moreno will also be looked at as a flagship ambassador of his country.
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Can he become the Julio Cesar Chavez of MMA?