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Brandon Moreno will look to defend his flyweight strap for the first time against Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event at UFC 270. Former UFC fighter Dan Hardy recently revealed that he is rooting for Moreno in the upcoming title bout.
During an interview with Submission Radio, Hardy felt that Moreno's win in the trilogy bout would seal his position as the flyweight king and open the door for surging contenders. He also believes Figueiredo will be an interesting prospect at 135 lbs:
"Honestly, I would like to see [Brandon] Moreno win because I would like to see him lock this division down and open the door for the likes of Pantoja or the Askarov [vs] Kai Kara-France winner. I think Deiveson Figueiredo at bantamweight is really interesting but that's a different conversation."
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However, Dan Hardy is concerned for Moreno regarding the media attention he is receiving as a champion:
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"Brandon Moreno, my concern is that now he's the champion, there's a lot of attention, lot of media and other interviews and stuff going on around him. And Figueiredo, he looks like he has tuned himself in and he's got that meanness back which he had in the first fight."
Catch Dan Hardy's appearance on Submission Radio below:
Brandon Moreno wants to clean out the flyweight roster
Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo have previously clashed on two occasions with the flyweight title at stake. Figueiredo retained his belt after they fought to a majority draw at UFC 256 in December 2020. Six months later at UFC 263, Moreno dethroned the Brazilian via a third-round submission victory.
During a recent interview with MMA Junkie, the Mexican revealed he now wants to build his legacy. Moreno hopes to achieve this by defeating Figueiredo in the trilogy and then clearing out the division:
"It’s a second chapter. Obviously before the belt, all my mind was to get the belt... be the first Mexican-born champion in the UFC – and that’s it. Now, what is next for me, definitely I need to build my legacy. I need to defend my title. I want to clean the division. I know it’s hard work to do because all the other guys in the division are hungry. Definitely they are ready for me, but I’m ready for the challenge. I’m training so hard for this next fight, and that will be my future.”
Watch Brandon Moreno's interview with MMA Junkie below:
