EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Brandon Moreno didn’t understand how much he needed to get out of the spotlight until he actually stepped away.
A former two-time UFC flyweight champion, Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) returns to competition Saturday for the first time in more than eight months when he takes on Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 246 main event at Rogers Place (ESPN+).
After he lost the belt to Alexandre Pantoja by split decision in July 2023 then dropped another split decision to Brandon Royval in February on home soil in Mexico, Moreno knew something wasn’t right.
He’s competed in seven consecutive championship or main event fights dating back to December 2020. During that time, Moreno became a figurehead of fight sport in his country.
The weight of all that caught up to Moreno in more ways than one, he said, and it was the primary driving force behind the hiatus.
“I am the first Mexican world champion,” Moreno told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 246 media day. “The guy from a huge country with a lot of support on a person. That person is me. It’s not just the training camp. It’s not just the fight. Now it’s about the media, about the responsibilities, the travels, the media tours. I don’t know. Maybe I’m a pussy. Maybe I’m a weak person. Maybe other fighters can say, ‘Hey, that’s nothing. Shut the f*ck up and keep going.’ Maybe that’s true, but talking about myself: That’s something huge.
“I’ve been on the grind like two, three years in a row. Fighting in an amazing spot, being around the world, doing a lot of work, a lot of media days. I’m a human being, man. And at some point, it exploded my mind. And that’s why I decided to take a break.”
Moreno, 30, admits the temptation to come back sooner was strong. He was offered a fight at UFC 306 in September, which is the promotion’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day, and he nearly jumped at it.
Ultimately, though, Moreno’s inner circle reminded him of the bigger picture, and he came to senses.
“When I decided to take a little break of competition, it was fine in that moment,” Moreno said. “But after that, like three weeks after, I started being like, ‘Damn, I want to fight. I want to fight.’ But then my wife, my family and my coaches were like, ‘Hey, you have to take a break. You have to take it serious. You have to rest. Be with your family. Be with your daughters. Make more nice moments with them first.’ I had to tell myself. I had this fight with myself and my mind to take this break serious.”
Now that he’s back, Moreno said all his mental challenges are behind him. He displayed his trademark smile and positive demeanor throughout a nearly 20-minute media day session, and admitted to rediscovering a joy for the process.
“My energy right now feels amazing,” Moreno said. “I feel so hype. It’s crazy how my last two training camps I didn’t feel like this. I feel all the stress, all the responsibilities. At some point that exploded my mind and I wasn’t really enjoying these kind of moments. Now I feel like before when you start your career with the UFC.
“I tried to recover my body, recovery my mind, heal some injuries that were bothering me in my last training camps. Now I feel perfect.”
Moreno said he holds Albazi, who has yet to be beaten inside the octagon, in high regard. He is confident in his ability to fight, and said his recent situation was one that never had much to do with a question about his abilities.
The split decision defeats to Pantoja and Royval could’ve swung in his favor, so Moreno returns with a full understanding what he’s capable of.
“I feel very frustrated because even when I lost my last two fights, I feel in my prime,” Moreno said. “I feel very strong. I feel stronger. I feel with better technique. I feel with more knowledge about the fight game. Just the result isn’t what I’ve been having in my last couple of fights. Now my goal is to show that to the world. To show all my hard work at the gym, and that’s it.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.
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