It’s been a rollercoaster ride in the UFC for Brandon Moreno over the past few years and after suffering back-to-back losses in recent times the 30-year-old has decided it’s time to take an indefinite hiatus from the sport.
“I just think I’ve reached a limit in my mind, and I’m tired,” Moreno said on Instagram (translated from Spanish).
“It’s not goodbye or anything like that, it’s just wait for me, be patient with me, let my body, but more than anything my mind, my head, compose itself and recover — recover and we’re going to get back to doing things right. The last time that happened, I came back, and I became a world champion. I’d like to think I can do the same, and when I return, I’m going to go on a tear. I still think I’m an incredible fighter, and I have all the qualities and abilities to be a champion again.”
Moreno became the UFC flyweight division’s most recognisable start over the past four years, thanks in large part to his epic four-fight series of title clashes with Deiveson Figueiredo, which saw the belt change between them multiple times in their struggle for supremacy, before ‘The Assassin Baby’ finally TKO’d his rival in early 2023 and they both moved on to other challenges.
In-between times Moreno had also won the interim title too by TKO’ing Kai Kara-France, but since his final victory over Figueiredo things haven’t quite gone his way.
He would go on to lose his flyweight title by split-decision to his nemesis Alexandre Pantoja, who has now beaten him three times over the course of their careers, while his latest fight saw him rematch Brandon Royval last month and again lose out by split-decision.
“I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m putting in the work, I’m dedicated, but the results just aren’t there, and it’s very frustrating,” Moreno said. “This is something that makes me very sad, but something that makes me who I am is that I always find a way to come back.
“I think with all the technical aspect things aside, I think I’m just tired. I’m tired of the media, the same questions, the vibe, the constant pressure. I don’t even think it’s a single moment anymore. I think it’s everything I’ve piled on my shoulders in the last few years. I’ve reached a point where my mind is stressed, and I just want to rest a bit. I’m not saying I’m 100 percent stepping away from MMA, but I do want to take a break to rest, be with my family and just be a normal person, be with my daughters, and just do new things.
“There are many things I haven’t done because I’m 100 percent focused on my training. I just want to rest a bit. This is by no means a goodbye. Just wait for me, have patience, let my body and my mind recover, and we’ll come back to do things well.
