Facing off for the second time in their professional fighting careers (and third time overall, counting their Ultimate Fighter exhibition contest), Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja threw down in the co-main event of UFC 290 on Saturday night.
The Las Vegas card, closing out this year’s International Fight Week, had been a hot one all night long — fitting giving temperatures locally had soared in the days leading up to the event.
Moreno and Pantoja looked to continue that hot streak — and Pantoja looked to continue the success he had found previously against the Mexican, up 2-0 in their career series. Moreno, however, was a different fighter in 2023, one who had ascended to the top of the flyweight mountain, claiming gold and a spot in the history books as the first-ever Mexican-born UFC champion.
Pantoja wasted no time closing the distance, only for Moreno to reverse and put the challenger on the fence. A positional battle ensued, for head position and leverage, until Pantoja spun and broke free. At range, Moreno popped off a combination, a couple of blows landing. Another clinch had Moreno firing an elbow off the break, followed up by a combination.
Next, Pantoja fired a kick, and moments later, dropped Moreno with a left! The Brazilian got on top, looking to work from half-guard while Moreno’s corner hollered at him to regain the guard. Pantoja eventually backed off, letting Moreno, bloodied, back up, over a minute still in the round. Pantoja pushed forward, cracking the champ again! The round finished with Pantoja shooting for a takedown, backing Moreno up to the fence.
Round two opened with some solid jabs by Moreno. Pantoja ate those, tried to clinch, but couldn’t hold it. Less than two minutes in, Moreno took the back, climbing it and dragging Pantoja down. Hooks went in, and Pantoja fought hands; he would make it back up to his feet, but ate a couple more shots from the champ. After expending an awful lot of energy with power shots in the first round, Pantoja’s gas tank was suddenly in question. Moreno, meanwhile, was putting less behind his shots, but landing more of them, especially the jab.
At the end of the second, Brandon Moreno caught a Pantoja kick, dumped the challenger on his back, and walked off to a big roar from the crowd.
A low blow on Moreno immediately halted the action in round three, but the champ did not want to rest and let a tiring Pantoja recover. The Brazilian, however, managed to get the back and land a throw along the fence, locking up a body triangle. That left Pantoja with lots of time to hunt for a way under the chin, while Moreno fought hands. Moments later, Moreno would reverse, and back off, forcing Pantoja to his feet! Pantoja was far from out, landing a left hand, but Moreno later ripped a head kick that had some heat on it, even if blocked.
Another high kick from Moreno capped off a combo moments later, and Pantoja opted to shoot a takedown and slow things down. That didn’t work, but a second attempt would. With a buck twenty left in the round, Pantoja had time to make something happen, but Moreno nearly escaped before eating an upkick and some elbows — and then did free himself, with the pair finishing the third round on the feet.
Heading into the championship rounds, there was a clear argument for Pantoja to be up 2-1. His corner said as much, but warned their fighter not to just walk at Moreno.
Brandon Moreno is a boss for not only surviving this punch, but fending off all the submission attempts while dazed #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/QTh2aeawjG
— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) July 9, 2023
The exchanges came fast and furious early in round four, before Pantoja took Moreno down after eating an uppercut and elbow. Moreno was quickly back up along the fence, Pantoja leaning on him with all his weight, looking to snake a leg through Moreno’s for a trip. Pantoja did drag the champ down, with Moreno briefly hunting a leg lock, which he quickly bailed on. Moreno would scramble up, but gave up his back doing so, carrying Pantoja’s weight. From there, the champ fought the hands while Pantoja held on with a body lock.
Moreno poured it on at the end of the round, landing another elbow just before the horn.
Round five was crucial for both fighters, perhaps especially so for Moreno, depending on how the fourth frame had been scored. Moreno kept on picking away at Pantoja, who fired back a big left hand in response. But in the final two minutes, Pantoja again took the back standing, letting Moreno carry his weight. That’s how they would close out the round, heading to the scorecards in a thrilling five-rounder that had fans into it from start to finish. And come the results, it was Brazil’s Pentoja claiming victory on two scorecards, bring a title back to the country after Amanda Nunes, the only remaining Brazilian champion, retired last month.
Official Result: Alexandre Pantoja def. Brandon Moreno by split decision (46-49, 48-47, 48-47)
