#2. Brandon Moreno (against Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263)
Brandon Moreno’s UFC career has been tumultuous, to say the least. The Mexican flyweight was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter and suffered a loss in his first fight on the show. Considering how thin the UFC’s flyweight division was at the time, he signed a contract with the promotion despite coming up short on the reality series.
Moreno began his UFC career by winning three fights on the bounce but lost the next two before being released by the promotion. He joined Legacy Fighting Alliance and won the flyweight championship in his new home. Subsequently, he was re-signed by the world’s premier MMA organization.
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Upon his return, ‘The Assassin Baby’ went on a four-fight unbeaten streak to earn a shot at the flyweight belt at UFC 256 in 2020.
At the time, the man holding the belt was considered among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. Deiveson Figueiredo was quickly gaining a reputation for being a potential long-reigning champion at 125 lbs. Figueiredo’s well-rounded skills and terrifying aggression led many to believe that he would make light work of Moreno.
However, the bout turned out to be a razor-thin contest with the judges scoring it a draw, allowing Figueiredo to retain his belt. Analysts and fans believed that Figueiredo wasn’t at his best on the night considering he had cut weight and fought a month before.
Nevertheless, the fact that Moreno competed for 25 minutes with one of the best fighters in the world warranted a rematch, which was booked for UFC 263.
In the most historic upsets, the final KO/TKO or submission tends to come out of nowhere. Much to the surprise of the MMA community, Moreno absolutely demolished Figueiredo in the rematch. The Mexican dominated every second of the bout before submitting the Brazilian in the third round to become the new UFC flyweight champion.
Watch Brandon Moreno’s full post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below:
#1. Julianna Pena (against Amanda Nunes at UFC 269)
Julianna Pena was just another fighter in the women’s bantamweight division before UFC 269. She won The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 and compiled a 6-2 run before finally getting a crack at UFC bantamweight gold.
Her only UFC losses came against current flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko and former featherweight champion Germaine de Randamie.
Pena took on the GOAT of women’s MMA, Amanda Nunes, at UFC 269. Most were of the opinion that Nunes would make light work of Pena and the betting odds reflected the same. Nunes was a -1100 favorite going into the bout.
Julianna Pena took the fight to ‘The Lioness’ unlike anyone had done previously, repeatedly catching the long-reigning champion with her jab. In the second round, Nunes looked noticeably fatigued. Sensing her opportunity, Pena dragged the Brazilian to the ground and locked in a rear-naked choke to complete one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.
Pena's win over Nunes left MMA fans around the world in shock. What made the victory even sweeter was the fact that she had predicted how the bout would play out and executed her game plan perfectly. Speaking to Joe Rogan in her post-fight interview, 'The Venezuelan Vixen' said:
"I told you! Don't ever doubt me again! Willpower, strength and determination! It will take you places."
Watch Julianna Pena’s post-fight interview with Joe Rogan below: