Brandon Moreno is feeling good ahead of his UFC 323 title eliminator against Tatsuro Taira.
“Right now, I feel amazing. I’ve been training hard for this fight. Super excited because I know getting the victory, at least in my mind, is gonna be undeniable to get the title next,” Moreno told media outlets in Las Vegas at the event’s media day on Wednesday. “So right now I have to be super focused on Tatsuro, but my motivation, my attitude, my mindset are super good right now.”
Moreno has picked up back-to-back impressive wins over Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg, showing not only that he still has gas left in the tank, but enough to spark a fire.
“It’s crazy, I feel like I just found a new motivation in life. I was this close to retiring when I fought Brandon Royval. But after time off with my family, with my loved ones, I found I really love this sport. I really love to throw punches with a fighter in the middle of the Octagon with thousands of people [watching].”
While Taira has climbed the rankings, Moreno has stayed put as a consistent staple at the top of the weight class. Despite this, Moreno recognized the talent of his opponent and knew this fight could come.
“He’s been doing an amazing job since he arrived at the UFC. Obviously, he had a little problem with Royval, but he came back and looked amazing in his last performance. I just remember his performances and saying, ‘Oh, this guy looks super tough, super clean with the hands, and amazing grappling.’ And here we are, getting an opportunity for the title.”
When asked if he needed a finish to fight for the belt next, something Taira believed true, Moreno shared a different answer than his opponent.
“I just feel like I need to have an amazing performance this weekend. A lot of different things I can’t really control. The only thing I can really control right now is making an amazing statement this Saturday, put my name super clear on the table for the UFC, and that’s it.”
Despite being ready for this matchup and his opponent, Moreno wasn’t prepared to face old foes. In an interview with MMA Junkie yesterday, Henry Cejudo said that he would contemplate a fight with Moreno if offered. Moreno found this surprising, since he thought their rivalry was settled and that Cejudo wouldn’t return to Flyweight.
“I saw the interview. I thought that rivalry was dead. But the guy is still thinking of me, that’s crazy. Right now, I’m super focused. In the past, we had our bad blood, and right now I’m just super focused on fighting in the flyweight division to get the title back. I don’t think he’s gonna make that cut again. So that’s it, I wish him all the best. I wish him all the success in his fight against Payton Talbott. I don’t know what his real mentality towards me is, cause guys get cameras in their face, and everything changes.
Watch the entire media day scrum with Brandon Moreno above. He takes on Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 in Las Vegas on Saturday.
