Getty (L-R) Brandon Moreno punches Brandon Royval in their flyweight bout during the UFC 255 event at UFC APEX on November 21, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
December 12 marks the biggest moment in No. 1 UFC flyweight Brandon Moreno’s athletic career and he plans to make the most of it. “The Assassin Baby” is set to fight flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in the main event of UFC 256 on Saturday and Moreno told Heavy that “it will be crazy.”
Both Moreno and Figueiredo last competed during UFC 256 on November 21 and are making a three-week turnaround to headline the UFC’s last pay-per-view of the year. Moreno (18-5-1) is coming off a first-round TKO victory over Brandon Royval and is currently on a three-fight win streak, going 4-0-1 in his last five bouts. And on Saturday night, The Assassin Baby will face his toughest test to date.
The “God of War” successfully defended his flyweight strap for the first time when he took out Alex Perez via first-round submission in the main event of UFC 255. Figueiredo is one of the fastest rising stars in the sport, boasting a 20-1 record with 17 wins by finish and defeating the likes of Joseph Benavidez and Tim Elliot. He is ranked No. 10 on the UFC male pound-for-pound rankings.
Dethroning the champion will be a tough task for Moreno, however he told Heavy he is ready. UFC 256 main card starts at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on ESPN+ pay-per-view.
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Although Not the Ideal Circumstances, Moreno Didn’t Hesitate to Take the Fight for UFC 256
The Assassin Baby, who has 10 wins via submission and three by KO/TKO, will compete in his third bout of 2020 when the Octagon locks at UFC 256.
Considering his fight with Royval was less than three weeks ago, Moreno hasn’t had a normal length training camp to challenge for the belt. He told Heavy that he was offered the title fight against the God of War hours after his victory over Royval but didn’t hesitate to take it.
“It wasn’t the best situation to get the fight for the title,” Moreno said. “You want to have a real training camp, maybe two months of anticipation. But, it is what it is. I had the fight with Brandon Royval a few weeks ago, I won in the first round, I’m healthy and still in shape, so I was ready to take the fight.”
The Assassin Baby also acknowledged that Figueiredo is having to compete on short notice as well. “It’s the same for Figueiredo, he fought on the same card as me,” he continued. “So, we’re ready to take this fight and make some good money on December 12.”
Moreno briefly went home to Tijuana, Mexico, after UFC 255 but was back in Las Vegas the following Friday. The Assassin Baby has his head coach and two of his training partners from Entram Gym with him in Las Vegas who have helped him prepare for the fight, along with his wife and kids for support.
“I feel amazing right now,” Moreno said. “After the fight [with Royval], I had some bruises, just that. I feel amazing. I don’t have problems, like injuries or something. I’m light, I’m in shape, my cardio’s perfect. I’m ready for this fight and if it goes to a fifth round, I’m ready to take it.”
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Moreno Believes His Speed & Technique Will Be Enough to Combat Figureido’s Power & Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
The Assassin Baby told Heavy that he was impressed with Perez during the UFC 255 bout, however he said that Perez made a mistake and was caught by Figueiredo
“I know Figueiredo is good with wrestling and jiu-jitsu,” Moreno said. “So, I’ll be ready for that.”
The God of War has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and vicious knockout power, but Moreno said he has the tools to get the job done.
“I think it’s very clear to me, he has the power but I have the speed and the technique on my side,” Moreno said. “So, I need to take care of his power, obviously with his right hand. He has Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but after that, I think I’m better in the other disciplines. My striking right now is better than his, my jiu-jitsu and wrestling is better than his.”
“Again, he has the power, I just need to take care of that,” Moreno continued. “After that, I know I can beat this guy.”
Moreno is expecting a war with Figueiredo. “I don’t make predictions because this sport is crazy. It could be a decision, it could be a finish in the first round, a submission, a knockout. You just need to tune into the fight because it will be crazy, it will be a war.”
UFC 256 will be the fight of Moreno’s life, he told Heavy. Since starting as a professional almost a decade ago, the Assassin Baby has had dreams of becoming a UFC world champion and knows a win would be life-changing.
“This is a dream come true,” Moreno said. “This is the fight of my life and I need to take everything seriously because I can change my life with this victory.”
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