Cageside Press analyst Val Dewar enlisted Tapology’s Russian MMA editor ‘@FdrNphw‘ and boxing expert Philip Walsh to list the best fights in a stacked week of fighting which includes UFC Mexico City, PFL vs Bellator: CHAMPS, ACA 171, multiple boxing events, KSW Epic, and more!
Brandon Moreno vs Brandon Royval 2
The UFC Mexico City main event is the best fight of the upcoming weekend. This rematch of 2020’s flyweight top contender fight comes on the heels of both men losing to Alexandre Pantoja in title fights. Of note is the fact that Moreno, who has become a star since his first two fights against Deiveson Figueiredo, forced the now-champ Pantoja into a war that became 2023’s ‘Fight of the Year.’ Royval had a less impressive showing, but his ability to cause chaos certainly created an interesting fight.
The last matchup was decided by a Royval injury leading to a TKO, albeit one forced by ‘The Assassin Baby’ outgrappling him. The fight was heating up at that point, and it being contested over five rounds, in the country which Moreno became the first champion to be born in, makes it all the more enticing. Royval has earned three ‘Fight of the Night’ bonuses in his eight UFC fights while Moreno has four in just his last six. Two of those Moreno fights were ‘Fight of the Year’, to boot, against Pantoja and Figueiredo.
M.T.C Best/Favorite fights of 2023 thread
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10.- Brandon Moreno Vs Alexandre Pantoja 2 – 7/8, MMA🇧🇷
(1/10)
— M.T.C (@F______Dolphin) December 22, 2023
The mixture of a sharp, technical jab with a brawler’s rear hand and mentality makes Moreno one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC even before you factor in the thrilling scrambles which are a must for any good flyweight. Meanwhile, ‘Rawdog’ Royval brings havoc to the octagon, throwing strikes of all sorts from wacky positions. That enables him to surprise opponents, like when he knocked out Matheus Nicolau. His grappling has much the same energy, as seen in the wild fights which ended in submission victories over ranked flyweight veterans Matt Schnell, Kai-Kara France, and Tim Elliott. Many of these wins come as an underdog, so despite Moreno’s technical superiority, do not be surprised if Royval’s imposition of anarchy gets the job done, even against a man who also thrives in the plane of pandemonium.
