Brandon Moreno fought his way to a unanimous decision victory over Steve Erceg in a closely contested main event tonight at UFC On ESPN 64.
Round One
The flyweight main event is underway in Mexico City!
Left hook for Moreno. Now he steps in to land a jab. Inside leg kick from Erceg. Jab for Moreno. He digs to the body. Now a body kick too. Step-in jab for the former champ.
Nice jab for Erceg now. Moreno works his jab now too. Uppercut followed by a right hand from Moreno sends Erceg into reverse gear for a moment.
Low kick for Erceg. Jabs traded. Moreno goes to the body. Erceg just misses with a front kick upstairs. Overhand right for Moreno. He rushes in again with another good punch.
Uppercut gets through from Erceg. Front kick to the body from him. Then gets back to the jab. Left hand over the top from Moreno.
Moreno kicks to the body and Erceg lands a punch. Right hand for Moreno. He lands another. Calf kick for Moreno now.
Round Two
Head kick attempt from Erceg is blocked. Reaching punch from Moreno. Erceg gets through with a right hand and tries for a knee.
Solid inside leg kick fro Moreno. He lands it again. Jab for Erceg. Brief clinch and Erceg works a knee and Moreno connects on a punch.
Hard right for Moreno. Erceg with a solid punch upstairs and Moreno rips to the body in response. Kick for Erceg. Jab from Moreno. Moreno grabbed hold of Erceg’s left leg for a moment, but didn’t commit to a takedown.
Erceg misses on a punch and Moreno responds with a punch and leg kick that do land. Hard punch from Moreno.
Low kick for Erceg. Fast jab from Moreno. Front kick attempt from Erceg. Inside leg kick too. Jab for Moreno. Couple of punches get through for Erceg after Moreno leaves his head exposed. Erceg connects again late in the round.
Round Three
Quick jab from Moreno. Body punch from Moreno. uppercut from Erceg. Grazing right hand from Moreno.
Body kick from Moreno. Now a low kick as Erceg lands his jab. Leg kick for Moreno. Jab for Erceg. Erceg peppering punches off Moreno’s guard. Moreno with a body kick.
Inside leg kick for Erceg. He pumps out his jab again. Nice knee to the body from him.
Inside leg kick for Moreno. Erceg with punches off the guard. He comes up short on a head kick attempt. Erceg misses on a knee upstairs. Jab for Moreno.
Round Four
Body punch for Moreno. He feels out with his jab. left hand gets through. Solid jab for Erceg. Moreno marches forward and lands to the body.
Straight punch for Erceg. Big hook misses from Moreno. Moreno presses forward pumping out the jab. Body kick for Erceg.
Right hand from Moreno. He steps in with a left hand that gets through. Jab for Erceg. Now a calf kick from him.
Jab for Moreno. Moreno throws hard but only lands to the chest. Head kick attempt from Erceg.
Moreno barrels forward and throws a left hand. Moreno applying pressure and then swoops in for a single-leg attempt late in the round. He gives up on that against the cage but works a few knees and then does manage to drag Erceg down. Erceg rolling to get out of danger.
Round Five
Erceg misses on a power punch and Moreno connects on a counter. Power punch from Moreno just comes up short.
Head movement from Moreno to avoid punches and then flashes out his left hand. Chopping calf kick from Moreno.
Moreno throws another calf kick that’s checked this time. Body punch from Moreno. Hook from Erceg. Head kick attempt from Erceg is blocked.
Moreno punches to the body and continues pressing forward to land upstairs as well. Erceg peppering Moreno’s guard with punches.
Jab gets through for Moreno. Head kick attempt from Erceg is blocked. Right hand over the top from Moreno. Jab for Erceg.
Right hand again from Moreno. Left hand for Erceg. He lands his jab again. A minute to go now. High kick attempt from Erceg, but Moreno uses that to knock him off-balance to the mat.
Moreno close to passing to side control here, but Erceg has his leg up as a barrier. Moreno does manage to pass just before the round ends, but there’s no time left to work.
Decision
This was a closely contested fight throughout, but Moreno applied more pressure and was a bit more aggressive with his striking output, and also landed a couple of tactical takedowns in the later rounds to help ensure he emerges with a unanimous decision victory (49-46 x3).
