Brandon Moreno on Deiveson Figueiredo Face to Face at UFC 277: “I’ve decided to smack all the anger and hate out of me”

Brandon Moreno put all grudges aside as he focused on beating Deiveson Figueiredo and reclaiming the undisputed flyweight title.

At UFC 277 last Saturday, Moreno scored a third-round KO win over Kai Kara-France to capture the interim flyweight title. Following the win, Figueiredo was caged for the two flyweight champions to face off one more time – and while many expected fireworks, something far healthier happened instead. Using their face-to-face conversation to clear the air, Moreno apologized for everything he said that upset Figueiredo, which in turn prompted Figueiredo to do the same. It was completely unexpected for all viewers, and according to Moreno, it was all a spontaneous decision on his part.

“I was fucking ready to throw all my hate, all my anger there. But damn it, man, I don’t know,” Moreno continued to tell Ariel Helwani The MMA lesson. “Something came to my mind. What I said in the interview was real. My parents went to my home to take care of my daughters and my eldest daughter, she is eight years old. She understands everything. If she doesn’t get it, she will in the future. So I had the option for the future, for the world, for the show, for the money, for whatever, do some big drama there and do something stupid with Deiveson in the octagon and drive everyone crazy, or I’ve had the opportunity to go the long way and be respectful and say, ‘I forgive you for all the shit you tell me and please forgive me if I’ve done anything bad to you and it makes you feel bad. ‘ And I made it.

“I know maybe it wasn’t the best option for the fans, but as a man, as a family man, I took the long road.”

Moreno and Figueiredo have a long history together.

The two flyweight champions have faced each other three times already, going 1-1-1 in their rivalry. Over time, things have become more controversial. And while the two might have buried the hatchet on Saturday, Figueiredo later made comments on Instagram that “he can’t be friends with Moreno” “because he did something unforgettable,” and suggested that maybe they can after they quarreled again be friends.

Moreno is fine with that, saying if Figueiredo wants to be like that, that’s fine, but he doesn’t have to like Figueiredo to fight him.

“I decide for myself and my life. It’s crazy because I understand my job, I understand what my sport is, but I’ve decided to take the anger and bad feelings out of my life,” Moreno said. “Look at that last fight this weekend against Kai Kara-France. I won’t say he’s my boyfriend, but we were very professional together. We showed a lot of respect in the press conference and in the interviews and we had a great fight. So I decided on my own to push all the anger, all the hate out of me. If he wants to continue with those feelings I don’t care because in the end, angry or not, I want to put on a show for the next fight. I want my title back.”

Moreno will now get his chance to reclaim the undisputed title – it’s just a matter of when and where.

Figueiredo is still recovering from an ongoing finger injury but has said he will return at the end of the year and defend his title for the first time in Brazil. And Moreno is happy to comply.

“Deiveson says he will be ready to fight in December. … I’m ready, let’s go,” Moreno said. “I love the schedule. Right now it’s just my eye, just my foot, but I’m perfect. I am generally healthy. I just don’t want to wait another damn half a year until my next fight. I want to fight before the end of the year. If you want to go to Brazil, we can fight in Brazil, we can fight in Russia, wherever. I don’t care, I just want to fight before the end of the year.”