Read about the epic flyweight battle between Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290. Find out who emerged victorious and the potential for a rematch. Get all the details here!
| Key Points |
|---|
| UFC 290 co-main event: Brandon Moreno vs Alexandre Pantoja |
| ‘The Cannibal’ emerges victorious on the scorecards |
| Pantoja acknowledges appetite for a rematch with Moreno |
| Opening up opportunities for other contenders in the flyweight division |
| Moreno holds the fight with Deiveson for two, three years |
| Pantoja suggests giving some choices for the next title defense |
| Likes of Moreno, Albazi, and Royval may stake their claims for the next shot at glory |
| Pantoja enjoys his long-awaited success on the throne |
At this past weekend’s UFC 290 pay-per-view, ‘and new’ was read out by Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer following a co-main event that will no doubt go down as a candidate for Fight of the Year come the end of 2023. Setting the stage for the headliner were Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja, with the former looking to open his newly began flyweight reign with a first successful title defense…
Fight of the Night
The pair ultimately stole the show and the Fight of the Night bonus from a number of other barnburners on the blockbuster July 8 card in Las Vegas. After a competitive five rounds of action, it was ‘The Cannibal’ who emerged victorious on the scorecards. In doing so, he added a third victory over ‘The Assassin Baby’ to his mixed martial arts record and departed the T-Mobile Arena with gold in his possession…
Potential Rematch
While the celebrations will no doubt continue before talk of a return to action picks up, the Brazilian champ did recently assess who his first title defense could come against. During an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Pantoja acknowledged that an appetite will exist for an immediate rematch with Moreno giving the excitement that the two elite 125lbers brought to the cage this past weekend…
Opening Up Opportunities
‘Of course I would fight Moreno again. I think everybody would want to watch that fight again,’ Pantoja said. ‘I don’t rewatch the fight, but everybody talks to me and says, ‘This is one of the best flyweight fights. This is one of the best title fights.’ But I think the whole division is coming.’ ‘He (Moreno) hold this fight for him and Deiveson for two, three years, you know? Have another guy in the division,’ Pantoja continued. ‘I know everybody wants that fight with Moreno again, but let’s go give some choices. Let’s go see what Dana White has. I think he’ll maybe put some guys to fight and then after that, fight with me. I think that’s the best decision for everybody.’
Conclusion
For now, while the likes of Moreno, Amir Albazi, and Brandon Royval may look to stake their claims for the next shot at glory, Pantoja will be drinking in his long-awaited success and enjoying life on the throne.
