LAS VEGAS – Alexandre Pantoja is happy Brandon Moreno broke through to become UFC flyweight champion, but plans to prove he’s simply the better fighter once again.
Pantoja (25-5 MMA, 9-3 UFC) has shared the cage with Moreno (21-6-2 MMA, 9-3-2 UFC) twice; the first meeting was on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in 2016 and the second at UFC Fight Night 129 in 2018.
Although Pantoja won the first two fights, the third meeting this Saturday in the UFC 290 co-main event carries much more significance with the flyweight title on the line. The 33-year-old Brazilian also won’t put too much stock into those past victories, knowing Mexico’s Moreno has leveled up over the years.
“That’s a different opponent for me,” Pantoja told reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “One thing is, I’m excited to see how much me and Moreno evolved. Everyone talking about much he evolved about his last fight with me. That’s what I want to see, you know? Because I’m training at American Top Team for five years. I never leave out of the gym. I’m training a lot, and I’ve evolved a lot. I want to see how much I evolved with the one guy I fight before.
“That’s a good thing for me, and maybe that’s more energy for Moreno because he lost to me twice. Maybe he’s keeping this in his head. But for me, this is good because I know if I lose to someone twice, I’m going to make a difference. This makes me very alert with that and so prepared for that fight.”
Since their last meeting, Pantoja has won six of his last eight, including three-straight victories to earn a title shot against Moreno. His last two appearances were impressive rear-naked choke submissions over Brandon Royval and Alex Perez. Considering his run, there’s no doubt in Pantoja’s mind the spot opposite Moreno belongs to him.
“I think that word ‘deserve,'” Pantoja said. “I deserve to fight for the belt. That’s nice fighting with Moreno, one guy that I respect a lot. One of the guys who learns a lot when he loses.
“… I’m expecting the best Moreno. I’m here for that, to fight with the best. I really want to fight with the prime Moreno, with his best skills, his mindset different.”
Moreno’s journey since his last fight against Pantoja has been historic. He became the first Mexican UFC champion during a stretch of four memorable title fights against former champ Deiveson Figueiredo. His last outing closed the door on that rivalry, but steps right back against a familiar opponent who holds wins over him.
“I want that belt, he wants to keep that belt,” Pantoja said. “Five rounds, that’s going to be a big show for all the fans. I can say that’s going to be the Fight of the Night. … I just come to prove to everybody, especially to Moreno, when I fight with him, he can’t beat me.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 290.
