UFC 290 goes down this Saturday, July 7th at the T-Mobile arena. The co-main event features two fighters who are no stranger to one another.
Alexandre “The Cannibal” Pantoja takes on the flyweight champion Brandon ” The Assassin Baby” Moreno for the third time in their storied careers. Pantoja is 2-0 against Moreno in his career. Their first meeting took place on the Ultimate Fighter Season 24, which saw Pantoja win by second round submission. The two fighters met again in 2018, where Moreno would once again fall short and lose the bout by Unanimous decision. Both men have shared much success in the Octagon since their last meeting. Saturday night they will put it all on line for flyweight gold.
Brandon Moreno
“The Assassin Baby” enters the bout with an overall record of 21-6. He is no stranger to a grudge match, as four of his list five fights have come against former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueirido, in one of the most storied rivalries in UFC history. Moreno would end up with two wins, one loss, and a draw against the Brazilian fighter. He would get the last laugh between the two fighters at UFC 283. The Mexican born fighter put an end to the rivalry with a dominant performance which saw him win by TKO (doctor stoppage) in the 3rd round. This win all but solidified Moreno as the clear number 1 in the flyweight division.
Moreno brings a abundance of skill to the competition Saturday night. He has grown tremendously in his striking game and he has always been a talented grappler, as he has secured eleven submission victories in his career. If you combine those submission wins with his five wins by KO/TKO, it is easy to see that the ” Assassin Baby” is one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC.
Alexandre Pantoja
” The Cannibal” enters Saturday’s competition on a three fight win streak and has accrued an overall record of 25-5 in his MMA career. Eight of those victories come via KO/TKO, while another ten have came by submission. Pantoja has second most flyweight finishes in UFC history, sitting only behind former champions Deiveson Figueirido and Demetrius Johnson.
In his last bout, the Brazilian fighter submitted long time flyweight contender Alex Perez in the first round. This lead to a passionate call out of the champion in his post fight interview. Pantoja received his wish, as he will have the opportunity to prove once and for all that he is the best flyweight in the world. Before the Perez win, The Cannibal secured two more victories over the talented Brandon Royval and UFC newcomer Manel Kape.
Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja Prediction
Pantoja has already secured two victories over the flyweight champion, both coming in impressive fashion. With that said, Brandon Moreno currently sits as the favorite to win this fight at -190. Those odds imply that Moreno is almost a 2-to-1 favorite over the man who he has never beaten. One cannot ignore the improvements Moreno has made since his last bout with Pantoja. The UFC realeased Moreno after that loss and it served as a wake up call for the eventual flyweight champion.
Moreno has only lost once since his last bout against the title challenger. It is evident that he is not the same fighter he once was. I expect this bout to stay standing for the majority of the rounds. Moreno will have the advantage on the feet and I look for him to land the more significant damage. Pantoja has never been finished in his MMA career and it’s hard to believe that this will change come Saturday. I expect both fighters to have their moments, but the experience and overall skill of Moreno will win out in the end. I predict that Moreno will by unanimous decision.
Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja goes down this weekend in the UFC 290 co-headliner. Who are you backing to take the win? Let us know in the comments.
