Getty Brandon Moreno
Brazilian fans pelted Brandon Moreno with beer and other objects as he ran out of the arena after becoming the undisputed UFC flyweight champion by besting Deiveson Figueiredo last weekend. But, “The Assassin Baby” doesn’t seem too bothered by it.
Moreno and Figueiredo met in the UFC 283 co-main event on January 21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to compete in the promotion’s first-ever quadrilogy match. It was the fourth time the two flyweights competed for the 125-pound strap against each other. This time, Figueiredo, who is Brazilian, was the champion and Moreno held the interim belt.
Well, Moreno put a stamp on the rivalry, which was at 1-1-1 going into the bout. The fight was stopped in between the third and fourth rounds by the cage-side doctor who determined Figueiredo’s eye was too compromised for him to continue fighting.
After the Mexican-born fighter was awarded the strap and interviewed by UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier, he was forced to run out of the arena with security sheltering him as fans’ boos and beers rained down.
Moreno Called the Fans’ Reactions ‘Kind of Normal’ But ‘Horrible’
Moreno appeared on Wednesday’s episode of MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour.” He told host Ariel Helwani that although he was used to sports fans reacting in such a way, he called their actions “horrible.”
“For me, as a Mexican, it’s kind of normal,” Moreno said. “I’m not saying it’s correct. I think it’s a horrible thing, but I can see it in soccer, I can see it in lucha libre. I’m not saying it’s correct, but I live a little bit more with it like that. That’s why for me it was funny.
“I know that can be dangerous, but I love all the staff of the UFC, because they took care of me every single moment. All the bodyguards were there taking care of me, so I love those guys.”
Moreno Theorized That the Fight-Ending Injury Is What Set Fans Off
Moreno said that he figured the reason why fans were upset was because of how the fight ended. Although fight replays showed it was Moreno’s punch that damaged Figueiredo’s eye, “Deus de Guerra” called for a timeout, claiming it was a poke. Attending fans caught on, also believing that a poke led to Figueiredo’s injured eye — and ultimately the end of the championship fight.
“Maybe because they thought I poked Figueiredo’s eye,” The Assassin Baby said. “Starting from that, I don’t know. I was just happy, laughing, I danced a little bit after the fight, maybe that’s why they started to get mad. I don’t know. I don’t care. I just won. I did everything right. I was very respectful every moment, I tried to do my best to make all the Brazilian fans comfortable with me, so I’m perfect right now. I’m comfortable with that.”
Regardless, Moreno is once against the undisputed flyweight king. He has a professional mixed martial arts record of 21-6-2, whereas Figuereido’s fell to 21-3-1. Figueiredo announced after the bout that he would leave the flyweight division for bantamweight, a move he’s been teasing for years.