Brandon Moreno has waited a long time for his Noche UFC moment. The former flyweight champion will finally compete at the event when he faces Joseph Morales on Sept. 12 in Glendale, Arizona. The timing carries extra weight after two straight losses, but Moreno is not allowing those setbacks to take away from what still matters most to him: fighting, training and enjoying the sport.
Brandon Moreno keeps moving forward as his long-awaited Noche UFC return finally becomes a reality
Moreno’s first Noche UFC appearance has been a long time coming. The Tijuana native missed the first three editions because of scheduling issues and minor injuries, but this year he made the event a priority.He did not have a particular opponent in mind. Moreno simply wanted to make sure he would be healthy and available when Noche UFC arrived.“Hey, just offer me a fight. I don’t care who, and I’ll be ready.”That approach eventually led him to Morales, a fighter whose career path has some similarities to Moreno’s own.Morales was previously released by the UFC before rebuilding his career and winning The Ultimate Fighter. He returned to the promotion and has won his first two fights since coming back, giving him plenty of confidence heading into one of the biggest opportunities of his career.Moreno knows that motivation could make Morales especially dangerous.“Joseph Morales has an interesting history, because he has a similar history to me. He was in the UFC then he got released, and he had to get some victories. He won ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ he came back, right now he’s 2-0, so he’s super dangerous because he’s motivated.”For Moreno, the fight also brings him back to Glendale, a place tied to one of the biggest moments of his career. It was there that he first captured the flyweight championship at UFC 263, making his return to the area especially meaningful.
Brandon Moreno turns the page on two losses as he fights to begin a new chapter at Noche UFC
Moreno enters Noche UFC after losses to Tatsuro Taira and Lone’er Kavanagh. Another defeat would give him the first three-fight losing streak of his career, adding significant pressure to an already important matchup.Still, Moreno does not appear interested in getting trapped by what happened in his last two fights.“I just want to win, brother. I’m fighting because I still feel super good at the gym, feel super good in my practices, my sparring looks super sharp.”That belief could be crucial as Moreno attempts to regain his place among the division’s leading fighters. His recent results have changed the conversation around him, but his championship experience and years competing at the highest level remain important parts of his story.More than anything, Moreno wants to stay present rather than worry about what another loss could mean.“I’m still enjoying this. I’m still enjoying the game, enjoying waking up every morning to prepare myself to go to the gym, and that’s it. I’m super focused on the present.”His words offer a different perspective on a fighter entering a difficult stretch. Moreno is not pretending the losses did not happen. Instead, he is choosing to focus on the part of the sport that continues to give him a reason to train every morning.That makes his Noche UFC return about more than simply getting another win. A victory over Morales could help rebuild his momentum, but the fight also gives Moreno a chance to remind fans that his story is far from finished.For a former champion who has already experienced the highest point of the sport, this next chapter may be about proving that setbacks do not have to be the ending.