Brandon Moreno reclaimed the flyweight title from Deiveson Figueiredo tonight at UFC 283 via a doctor’s stoppage after the third round due to his rival’s right eye being swollen shut.
Round One:
Moreno backs up to the cage almost immediately, but then bursts into a takedown and lands it in the center of the Octagon.
Moreno in half-guard and Figueiredo is half-heartedly holding onto a guillotine. Moreno showing lots of patience and almost not working at all here until Figueiredo is able to nicely work his way back to the feet.
Leg kick for Moreno. He throws an overhand but doesn’t quite connect. Front kick to the body from Figueiredo and then ducks under a counter punch.
Body kick for Moreno. Bit of a lull in the action and then Figueiredo bursts forward with a punch. Nice flurry for Moreno now as Figueiredo also lands.
Jab lands for Moreno. Chopping leg kick lands for Figueiredo. Leg kick for Moreno now and Figueiredo retaliates with a takedown attempt that’s shrugged off.
Body punch for Moreno. Left hand from him. Moreno drives into a takedown and lands it nicely in the center of the Octagon.
Figueiredo now working for a heel hook. It looked quite dangerous for a moment there, but Moreno adjusts and is able to survive, then protests to the ref as Figueiredo lands an illegal kick while they are still grounded, but it’s not picked up on.
Round Two:
Body kick for Moreno but Figueiredo catches that and bundles him to the mat. Right hand from Figueiredo. He’s looking to stack him up, but Moreno does well to drive back to his feet and try to turn into Figueiredo.
They end up back at striking range. Missed right hand from Moreno. Jab for Figueiredo. Moreno responding.
Inside leg kick for Moreno. Now a right hand over the top. Double-jab and a right hand from Moreno and a counter strike lands for Figueiredo.
Head kick attempt from Figueiredo grazes the target but Moreno tries to work it into a takedown attempt. Doesn’t work out.
Moreno looking for a takedown, but Figueiredo ends up on top. Moreno with a nice sweep and gets back up. Figueiredo hops up onto him looking for a guillotine, but as they drop to the mat Moreno is able to get his head out and applies pressure to make his rival uncomfortable.
Now Moreno settles into full guard and is taking his time from here. Moreno attempts an elbow and now it’s Figueiredo who throws a few elbows from his back.
Round Three:
Body punch from Figueiredo. Missed punch from Moreno and glancing counter from Figueiredo. Right hand for Moreno.
Leg kick for Moreno. Jab for Figueiredo. Figueiredo trying to clinch up but nothing doing.
Big swings and misses from Moreno. Leg kick for Figueiredo. Moreno with a hook and Figueiredo is wincing in pain and clutching his right eye. He thinks it was an eyepoke and is looking for the ref to step in, but he’s not interested. Replay suggests it was Moreno’s thumb that landed which isn’t illegal.
Moreno lands a takedown and Figueiredo has a cut right below his eye. Moreno being patient again from in his rival’s guard and then bursts into a big punch.
Moreno postures up and tries to rain down punches, but Figueiredo kicks away at him and he has to dart back into the guard to maintain his position.
Moreno postures up without landing anything then goes back down. Now he looks to strike and moves to side control in the final seconds of the round.
After the minute break the doctor is in to check on Figueiredo’s eye before the fourth round begins and it looks swelled shut.
Unfortunately that’s it, the ref has waved off the fight – Moreno has reclaimed the belt from Figueirdo with a TKO victory at 5.00mins of Rd3.
Moreno certainly appeared to be winning the fight up until that moment, and Figueiredo appears ready to put the quadrilogy behind him in his post-fight interview, stating that he now intends to move up to bantamweight.
The Brazilian fans aren’t happy though and Moreno has to be rushed out of the arena under fire from drinks thrown from the crowd.
