Brandon Moreno is confident in his star power and believes he is the ideal headliner for UFC 320, the Noche UFC event scheduled for September 13 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
After defeating Steve Erceg at UFC Mexico, Moreno immediately set his sights on a title shot and a fourth fight against flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja. The UFC`s announcement of the September pay-per-view just before his walkout felt like destiny for Moreno to pursue this championship opportunity.
“Fighting for the title in Guadalajara is definitely the goal,” Moreno stated at the post-fight press conference. “I think it’s perfect, even for the UFC and for promotion. If they want a pay-per-view event for Noche UFC in September in Guadalajara, I believe I’m the right choice.”
Moreno`s logic for being a major draw for a card celebrating Mexican Independence Day is compelling.
The challenge for Moreno is convincing the UFC to grant him another shot at Pantoja, considering Pantoja has won all three of their previous encounters. One of these was on The Ultimate Fighter, not officially on his record, but Moreno has lost to Pantoja in two subsequent fights, including the title bout in 2023.
However, Moreno believes his ability to attract fans and his consistent performance in the flyweight division should warrant consideration for a title opportunity.
“I feel I have enough reasons to raise my hand and say I can main event the pay-per-view in Guadalajara in September,” Moreno asserted.
“We`ll see what happens. I saw Hunter [Campbell], and he seemed very pleased with the crowd. The question is, how much influence do I have? Maybe not much. Flyweights always face this challenge. But I truly believe that every time I enter the octagon, the crowd goes wild. That’s a fact. Let’s see what happens.”
UFC Mexico was a sold-out event with 19,731 attendees, achieving the highest grossing gate for a UFC Fight Night at over $2.53 million.
These factors are favorable for Moreno’s request to headline the next major UFC event in Mexico.
Pantoja`s next title defense is yet to be scheduled, though he is expected to return before September, with potential challengers Manel Kape and Kai Kara-France in contention.
Moreno is awaiting his next steps, happy to compete in Mexico again, especially after securing his first win there following an 0-2-1 record in Mexico City at the start of his UFC career.
“Every time I lost in Mexico City, I wondered what went wrong,” Moreno reflected. “I was doing everything right, but not getting the desired results. This time, I focused on clearing my mind and executing my game plan.”
“Throughout fight week, I felt different, more experienced and energetic. In the end, we got the win. I’m happy.”
