Brian Moore knows exactly what he wants next.
The Bellator bantamweight is looking to step up in competition and revisit a failed booking following his most recent win. Moore (15-9 MMA, 6-5 BMMA) returned to the cage this past Friday, defeating Arivaldo Silva in a clear unanimous decision at Bellator 285 in Dublin.
And now with some momentum back, Moore is hoping to clash against former Bellator title challenger Leandro Higo.
“Me and Leandro were meant to fight in Italy a while back,” Moore told reporters at the Bellator 285 post-fight press conference. “He had a visa issue, so it’s a fight that I really wanted. I really respect the ‘Pitbull’ brothers, not so much him. So I’ll take him.”
He later added,
“It’s unfinished business. I was meant to fight him in Italy, he couldn’t get his visa, but I still want to knock him out.”
Moore snapped a two-fight losing streak with the win over Silva. He feels he’s primed to hang with the best despite past setbacks in the promotion.
“It was a domination from start to finish,” Moore said regarding his win. “I was going for the finish, you know how I am, but he was very tough, and he had a chin on him. He was unpredictable and had a good guard and really good takedowns.
“So I had to pick my shots, but it was a domination from start to finish. I’m happy for that. Every time that I have fought in Ireland, I’ve been given top fives and top 10’s only. This is the first time I fought someone outside the rankings and look what happened. I’m ready for that step back up in competition next.”
