If there is one fighter who has overcome the odds and receives very little hate in the UFC, it is Mexico’s own Brandon Moreno.
The 31-year-old has taken the 125lbs throne and has yet to be stopped in his MMA career, while having 18 fights in the biggest organisation.
The Tijuana-born fighter has come a long way to being recognised as one of the greatest flyweights.
Here is the challenging path Moreno has been on to get into his battle against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323, which would be a title eliminator.
The Beginning
After an eight-fight win streak, Moreno became a participant in The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions.
This was after his dominance as the 125lbs champion in the World Fighting Federation (WFF).
‘The Assassin Baby’ was knocked out in the opening stage after losing by submission to Alexandre Pantoja.
Despite the loss, while The Ultimate Fighter was still airing, Moreno made his UFC debut, where he faced Louis Smolka at UFC Portland, and won in the first round with a Guillotine Choke.
The Mexican then went head-to-head with Ryan Benoit in December 2016, edging a split decision win.
The triumphant streak continued for the Las Vegas resident as he submitted Dustin Ortiz with a Rear-Naked Choke in the second round at UFC Nashville.
By this time, Moreno was in the top 10 of the flyweight rankings; however, things would slightly fall apart in the next couple of bouts.
The Fortis MMA fighter featured in his first main event at UFC Mexico City, having the chance to move up to #6 when he faced Sergio Pettis.
But it was not meant to be, as Pettis convincingly won in a five-round battle by unanimous decision.
The following matchup was against a familiar face as Moreno went toe-to-toe with Pantoja at UFC Santiago.
Sadly for the Mexican, he suffered a unanimous-decision defeat in Chile, which eventually led to his release from the UFC.
In his quest for a return, Moreno fought Maikel Perez at LFA 69 and defeated the Cuban champion by fourth-round TKO.
The Rising Return
After one successful fight in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, Moreno returned to the UFC and faced the undefeated Askar Askarov in Mexico City.
In September 2019, the 125lbs bout ended in a split draw, although many media scores showed that Moreno should have won the fight.
Moreno got back to winning ways in the UFC when he fought Kai Kara-France at UFC 245, securing an unanimous decision victory.
Standing as the #5 contender, it seemed that The Assassin Baby was getting close to a potential title shot.
During the era of COVID-19, Moreno took on Jussier Formiga at UFC Brasilia, allowing him to move into the top three of the flyweight division.
In a hard-fought victory, the Tijuana-born mixed martial artist won by unanimous decision and was just one bout away from a chance at UFC gold.
At UFC 255, the 31-year-old aimed to maintain his #1 spot in the rankings when he faced Brandon Royval.
The Mexican stopped Royval in the nick of time to win by first-round TKO, placing him on a five-fight unbeaten run.
The Quadrilogy
Before UFC 256, it was unknown that we would get a long-lasting rivalry in the flyweight division.
Three weeks after his recent victory, Moreno fought for the flyweight championship against Deiveson Figueiredo in December 2020.
The Brazilian was in a similar position after defending his title in the headliner of UFC 255 against Alex Perez.
In a close and contested five-round war, the championship matchup ended with a majority decision, meaning Figueiredo would keep the title, but a rematch would be on the horizon.
The second bout between the top two 125lbs fighters took place in the co-main event of UFC 263 as the buildup was full of anticipation.
Moreno was sharp on the feet and ground, which led him to become the UFC Flyweight Champion after submitting ‘Deus da Guerra’ with a Rear-Naked Choke in round three.
But the rivalry did not end there, as the second rematch was held in Las Vegas at UFC 270, serving as the co-headliner.
This time, Figueiredo got the better of the Mexican to regain the flyweight throne, winning by unanimous decision.
The Assassin Baby had the chance to bounce back, facing familiar foe Kara-France for the interim belt at UFC 277.
In a gruelling fight, Moreno defeated the New Zealander by third-round TKO, making a statement for the undisputed title.
At UFC 283, Mexico vs. Brazil for the flyweight championship took place for the fourth and final time in Rio de Janeiro.
In another entertaining clash between the two high-level mixed martial artists, Moreno won by fourth-round TKO to reclaim the throne.
Fall and Rise of The Assassin Baby
Moreno was still in search of his first successful title defence, and that chance came at UFC 290 against a returning nightmare.
The two-time 125lbs champion collided with Pantoja once again, hoping to earn revenge finally.
However, the 31-year-old was unable to do so, as he lost by split decision after five stunning rounds.
The wait for redemption continued after losing by split decision to Royval in a rematch at UFC Mexico City, leaving the former champion in a concerning position.
The Mexican had another opportunity to return to the win column when he went toe-to-toe with Amir Albazi.
At UFC Edmonton, Moreno defeated the Iraqi mixed martial artist by unanimous decision, remaining as the #2 contender.
The Tijuana-born warrior was then tasked to maintain his position in the rankings against Steve Erceg in the headliner of UFC Mexico City.
Once again, Moreno won by unanimous decision, knowing that he could be one bout away from potentially contesting Pantoja in a title rematch.
If the Assassin Baby is victorious at UFC 323, he may be the only suitable challenger left in the flyweight division.
That is, if ‘The Cannibal’ does defeat the #1 contender, Joshua Van, in the co-headliner.
