Getty Brandon Moreno
The first quadrilogy in UFC history went down on Saturday night when Deiveson Figueiredo battled Brandon Moreno for the undisputed flyweight championship. The two met inside the Octagon for the UFC 285 co-main event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
They were 1-1-1 against each other going into the bout, and Moreno put a stamp on the rivalry. He took his 125-pound belt back after the third round when the cageside doctor stopped the fight due to a swollen eye Figueiredo suffered courtesy of Moreno’s punch.
Well, Moreno, who is Mexican-born, didn’t receive love from Brazilian fight fans who attended the event at the Jeunesse Arena. Boos rained down on “The Assassin Baby” while he spoke with UFC color commentator Daniel Cormier. And as Moreno left the cage, he was forced to run for the exit that went backstage while being shielded by security members.
Drinks and other objects aimed at Moreno were thrown from the stands and you can watch the video below via Bloody Elbow’s embedded tweet:
Fans in Brazil tried to hit Brandon Moreno with random things as he left the cage t.co/lXRLr0vRNl
Figueiredo Plans to Move to Bantamweight for His Next UFC Appearance
When speaking with Cormier, Brazil’s Figueiredo announced he was moving up to 135 pounds, a division jump he has been teasing for years.
“Unfortunately it’s time to leave this division,” Figueiredo said. “Congratulations to Brandon. But, I’m moving up. It was Brandon’s night. I thought it was an eye poke. I hope I don’t have any lasting problems with my eyes. I’m tired of making this weight — that’s why I’m moving up.”
Figueiredo is 35 years old. He boasts a record of 21-3-1 with all of his professional mixed martial arts bouts taking place at 125 pounds.
MMA Community Reacts to Moreno vs. Figueiredo 4
Many members of the MMA community took to Twitter to give their take on the UFC 283 co-main event. Former bantamweight and flyweight champion Henry Cejudo tweeted: “@Daico_Deiveson will be a savage at 135. Congrats on an amazing run at 125. The God of War will be back.”
“The MMA Hour” host Ariel Helwani tweeted, “If they hadn’t fought 4 times already you could make a strong case for another, despite Moreno being up. Just feels a tad abrupt. But, a 5th is a tough sell and not fair to the division.”
“Never seen someone take off the gloves to announce a weight class change,” Helwani tweeted. “Scared us there, Figueiredo. Sheesh.”
“Morning Kombat” host Luke Thomas tweeted: “Brandon Moreno wins the UFC flyweight title with a stoppage after the third round. Doesn’t look like an eye poke or scrape to me. Moreno closed that eye with a leaping near gazelle punch. He was better in that moment AND overall. And new.”
UFC color commentator Joe Rogan wasn’t working the broadcast on Saturday. Nevertheless, the MMA superfan was watching and he took to Instagram, writing: “A huge congratulations to @theassassinbaby, becoming the undisputed flyweight champion tonight! A truly dominant performance that really cements his improvement and his legacy in winning this, the 4th of their fights together. A really amazing co-main event for a great night of fights from Brazil!”
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Brazilian Fans Force Fighter to Run Out of Arena After Becoming UFC Champion