Brandon Moreno was ready to call it quits the last time he was in Mexico City.
Alas, the two-time UFC Flyweight Champion is in a much better place than he was more than a year ago when he fought current #1 flyweight contender Brandon Royval.
It was somebody Brandon Moreno had a previous victory over, winning their first fight by first-round TKO after a shoulder injury for Royval. Years later, Royval would get his revenge in the rematch in Mexico City, defeating Moreno in a razor-close split decision.
Mexico’s biggest MMA star is still winless at UFC Mexico City where he has fought three times already.
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Brandon Moreno talks near-retirement at UFC Mexico City
Moreno took an extended break to ‘heal his soul’ following the loss to Royval, admitting in an interview with Daniel Cormier that he was ready to walk away from MMA.
“I was very sad, I was very disappointed with myself,” Moreno said of how he felt losing at home again.
“In the moment, I was like so angry with myself, like, I don’t want nothing more. That’s it. That’s over to me…” Moreno relived.
The heat of the moment would eventually subside for Moreno.
“My team and my family say, ‘Hey man, just chill… take some time, spend time with your family. Go out of the gym a little bit.'”
Brandon Moreno says he has ‘so many years’ to give to MMA
And that, he did. Moreno said he went two months without stepping foot into the gym: “With the pass of the time, I felt like, okay, you start to get excited again to fight…”
The layoff definitely helped Moreno. After spending more time with his family, the Mexican returned to form or perhaps a better version of ‘The Assassin Baby’ at UFC Edmonton in November, putting on a dominating striking clinic against Amir Albazi across five rounds.
Brandon Moreno looks for his first win at UFC Mexico City when he takes on Steve Erceg this Saturday.
A reinvigorated contender at 31 years old, Moreno’s thoughts of retirement are long gone.
“I have so much to do,” Moreno said of retirement.
“I have so many years to give to this sport. I’m so young. I’m not over, for sure.
“The only thing I start to feel more pressure is with the diet. Man, I hate the f****** diet…” Moreno admitted.