Brandon Moreno: Happiness in Frustration

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Earning a draw in an Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout could be just as disappointing as loss, if not more so. It’s an emotional gut punch that often leaves a fighter frustrated and angry. Yet that was not the case for Brandon Moreno following his closely contested UFC 256 title fight against champion Deiveson Figueiredo. Despite the tie, the bout placed as one of the best of 2020, and arguably the best championship fight in division history, is a moment he has longed for.

“I think the first reason [he was not angry] is at the end of the day that’s why I’m fighting. Because I love these kinds of matchups. I love to throw punches with some guy. And that made me feel so happy,” Moreno told Sherdog. “I remember I was saying before, I want to be in those kinds of moments. In a fight where the people are talking about the fight all week [after]. The analysts talking about who wins the first, or this round was so close. I knew in the moment that fight was like that. Obviously, when I was in my house hours after I started to think like, f*ck I got the draw. But in that moment [immediately after] I was so happy.”

In his conversation with Sherdog, “The Assassin Baby” broke down each round of his championship war, including Figueiredo’s point-deduction in round three and his own inactivity in the fifth and final round. He also updated the health of his shoulder and elbow.