The former flyweight champion is back in the mix with the other top contenders who are chasing the dominant titleholder.
Brandon Moreno got his hand raised against Steve Erceg following five rounds at Arena CDMX as he finally ended his run of bad results in Mexico City.
With back-to-back wins and impressive performances under his belt, ‘The Assassin Baby’ is in the title picture once again having lost the belt at UFC 290.
He does have some competition for the next title shot with the likes of Kai Kara-France and Manel Kape also vying to face Alexandre Pantoja next.
The other major factor is the fact that the Mexican star has already suffered multiple losses to the Brazilian champion and whilst a fourth fight between them could definitely go Moreno’s way, Pantoja has come out on top each and every time.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Alexandre Pantoja has already beaten all of the contenders who are currently in and around the title picture right now.
‘The Cannibal’ has beaten Brandon Moreno three times, Brandon Royval twice, Manel Kape once in 2021 and Kai Kara-France back during their time on The Ultimate Fighter in 2016.
It looks like Kape may be the most logical option right now considering the run that he has been on in recent times and the fact that his loss to Pantoja came on his UFC debut after he signed with the promotion from RIZIN.
However, Moreno is continuing to look back to his best and his performances are earning him a lot of praise even if the idea of seeing him face Pantoja again isn’t the most exciting matchup.
If he continues to win and beat other flyweight contenders, he’ll make himself undeniable for another crack at his great rival.
During the post-show on ESPN after his win over Steve Erceg, Moreno was asked what he wants next.
In response, he provided a reason why he might get the title shot over the other names at the top of the weight class right now despite them also being deserving of the opportunity.
“I mean, I want to fight for the title. The division right now is kind of weird. Manel deserve the title, Kai Kara-France deserve the title, Royval deserve the title and right now, with this victory, I think I can raise a little bit of my hand so I don’t know. I mean I have to use this card where I don’t know how much I move the needle but I really believe I move the needle more than the other guys.”
When it comes to the reaction that they get from the fans, Brandon Moreno is probably right that he does move the needle more than the other names in contention.
The problem lies with the matchup itself so whilst Moreno does move the needle, a fourth fight with Alexandre Pantoja might not even if their last encounter at UFC 290 was one of the best fights of 2023.
That’s likely why Manel Kape is the frontrunner right now because a fight between him and Pantoja offers something new even if it’s a clash of styles that we’ve seen before.
Even after two impressive performances since returning from a brief hiatus, Moreno might still need one more definitive statement in order to fight for the 125-pound gold once again.
