The UFC 290 event is likely to be one of those fight cards that could go down in Mexico's history for a long time. There will be a total of five Mexicans fighting, and two of them will be seeking a title: one of them will be Brandon Moreno when he faces Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja for the UFC flyweight title, and here we bring you all the details of the match.
How do they arrive?
With two consecutive wins and after having won the four fights he had against Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo, including a knockout victory in Brazilian territory, "The Assassin Baby" (21 wins, 6 losses, and 2 draws) will seek to keep his title in the co-main event of the night.
After suffering two losses against this opponent, the Mexican assured that at this moment he is a much better fighter than he was in the last two fights and the context will be very different, something that could work in his favor.
"I'm facing Alexandre Pantoja in a completely different scenario where I am the champion and I know that he is hungry and motivated to take this belt, but beyond technical details, the truth and the simplest thing is that I am better (than before), my evolution has been better and I have to prove it this Saturday and I know I'm going to achieve it," he declared to mediotiempo.
Brandon Moreno's last fight
On the other hand, "The Cannibal", as he is also known, arrives with the mission of snatching the title and returning to action, since the last time he was in the cage was in the victory against American Brandon Royval, on August 21, 2021.
The 33-year-old Brazilian made his debut in 2007, and since then he has a record of 24 wins (8 by knockout) and 5 losses. Pantoja mentioned how excited he is to see Moreno's growth and, for that reason, he will try to defeat him for the third time.
"He is a different opponent for me. One thing is that I'm excited to see how much Moreno and I have evolved. Everyone talks about how much he evolved in his last fight with me. That's what I want to see," he said.
Background
This fight already has two previous matches that favored the South American. The first one took place in an exhibition fight on August 31, 2016, where the Brazilian won by submission; while the second one took place on May 19, 2018 in Santiago, Chile, where Pantoja defeated Moreno by unanimous decision after three rounds in the UFC Fight Night.
Full card for UFC 290
Main card
- Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez, Featherweight (title)
- Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja, Flyweight (title)
- Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis, Middleweight
- Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker, Lightweight
- Bo Nickal vs. Tresean Gore, Middleweight
Preliminary card
- Sean Brady vs. Jack Della Maddalena, Welterweight
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denise Gomes, Strawweight
- Shannon Ross vs. Jesus Aguilar, Flyweight
- Vitor Petrino vs. Marcin Prachnio, Light Heavyweight
Early preliminary card
- Kamuela Kirk vs. Esteban Ribovics, Lightweight
- Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price, Welterweight
- Christian Rodriguez vs. Cameron Saaiman, Bantamweight
- Jimmy Crute vs. Alonzo Menifield, Light Heavyweight
Brandon Moreno's fight prediction
Mexico against Brazil in the co-main event of UFC 290. Pantoja has defeated Moreno twice. The odds for a Mexican victory are -225 and +165 for a Brazilian victory. Build your parlay and bet on www.rushbet.mx.
*The odds may change at any time.
What time does Brandon Moreno fight?
- Date: Saturday, July 8, 2023
- Time: 21:30 hours, Mexico Central Time (approximately)
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena
- Phase: UFC 290
Where to watch Brandon Moreno vs. Alexander Pantoja in Mexico?
- Streaming: Fox Sports Premium and UFC Fight Pass
In case you can't watch the fight, you don't have to worry, as you can consult with us at mediotiempo for the most relevant updates before, during, and after the fight, as well as minute-by-minute coverage.