Former UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno announces he is taking time away from MMA. The former UFC flyweight champion took to Instagram on Monday to give fans an update on what is happening.
Brandon Moreno Announces He Is Taking a Break
The former two-time Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno made a heartfelt message to his supporters on Monday. Moreno announced that he was going to be taking time away from the sport. While this will have been a hard decision for Moreno to have taken.
“I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m putting in the work, I’m dedicated, but the results just aren’t there, and it’s very frustrating,” Moreno said in Spanish. “This is something that makes me very sad, but something that makes me who I am is that I always find a way to come back.
“I think with all the technical aspect things aside, I think I’m just tired. I’m tired of the media, the same questions, the vibe, the constant pressure. I don’t even think it’s a single moment anymore. I think it’s everything I’ve piled on my shoulders in the last few years. I’ve reached a point where my mind is stressed, and I just want to rest a bit. I’m not saying I’m 100 percent stepping away from MMA, but I do want to take a break to rest, be with my family and just be a normal person, be with my daughters, and just do new things.
“There are many things I haven’t done because I’m 100 percent focused on my training. I just want to rest a bit. This is by no means a goodbye. Just wait for me, have patience, let my body and my mind recover, and we’ll come back to do things well.”
Moreno has been a key part of the flyweight division over the recent years. He even fought Deiveson Figueiredo four times in which he ended the rivalry 2-1-1.
Defeats Have Been Hard to Take
Brandon Moreno is currently riding a two-fight losing streak with both defeats coming by way of split decision. The first defeat came when he dropped his title to Alexandre Pantoja. The fight against Pantoja didn’t go the way that Moreno would have hoped it would have gone when he lost his title. The fight was one of the best fights which happened in 2023.
The 2nd defeat came against Brandon Royval in February of 2024. Brandon Royval was stepping into this fight on short notice. Amir Albazi was the original opponent for Moreno for that night, however, due to a neck injury, Albazi had to withdraw from this fight. Moreno accepted staying on the card and Royval accepted the short-notice fight. Brandon Moreno also mentioned how these last two fights have made him feel. Moreno announced that these fights have been very demoralizing for him having to deal with. Speaking about these defeats Moreno explained;
“So yeah, what can I say? Even a month after the fight, I’m still digesting it a bit,” Moreno said. “I’m thankful for the beautiful moment because that walk to the octagon in Arena CDMX was super cool. It was something special and very beautiful because the last time I was there was in 2019, and people already knew who I was, and I was getting cheered, but you can’t compare it to this time. Everyone was supporting me and singing my song, and it was beautiful.”
Moreno went on to talk about how he felt in the leadup and aftermath of these losses;
“At the same time, it also frustrates me a bit because I tried so hard to win. The camp was very good. I managed to stay away from injuries, and I was able to work very well. I put all my heart to get the win, and it didn’t happen. Now I have two consecutive losses, but they’re two weird losses. Those are losses where you can make an argument that I won. Obviously, at the end of the day, a loss is a loss. Even though one guy left to the hospital and the other had to be taken out on a wheelchair out of the arena, I still didn’t get the win. So based on that, there’s work to do.”
Moreno Will Be Back
While many fans will be sad not to see Moreno fighting in the octagon for a while. Moreno made sure to let us know this was not the end of the line. Brandon Moreno made sure to remind us he will be back at some point much better than ever. Brandon Moreno won’t just be an improved fighter, he will also be more determined to make sure he clinches that flyweight title once again. Speaking about this Moreno reassured his fans when he said;
“The last time that happened, I came back, and I became a world champion. I’d like to think I can do the same and when I return, I’m going to go on a tear. I still think I’m an incredible fighter, and I have all the qualities and abilities to be a champion again. I just think I’ve reached a limit in my mind, and I’m tired. But outside of that, everything is excellent. I’m happy. I leave with the event on Feb. 24 with all the Mexicans that did get wins: “El Loco” Torres, Daniel Zellhuber, Edgar Chairez, Yazmin (Jauregui), Jesus Aguilar, all of them had the flag up high, and we have to keep supporting them. I know that more Mexican talent is coming, and we’ll see them in big UFC events. So I leave with that and the support.”
“Everyone that supports me is fully on board, and there’s no way I can ever repay that. At this point, all I promise is that I’ll continue fighting, moving forward, and I will find the right path to move forward. I’m going to do everything to pick myself up again. I want to do it, I know I can do it, and I’m going to do it. I’m going to be champion. I just need to rest my body and mind.”
Quotes taken from Brandon Moreno Instagram’s Video
So Moreno may be out for a bit while he goes and recovers. We will miss Moreno while he is taking this time out of the sport to just reset. He will come back at some point and will be coming back to get that title back as soon as possible. Whenever he decides the time is right for him to come back to the sport. Moreno will be a danger to any opponent. There is no doubt he will come back stronger and get himself back into title contention once again.
Do you agree with Brandon Moreno taking some time off from the sport? When should he return? Let us know in the comment section below!
Featured Image Credit to Embed from Getty Images
