Brandon Moreno experienced another difficult moment on home soil at UFC Fight Night 268 when he was unable to fend of promising prospect Lone’er Kavanagh in the main event.
Moreno (23-10-2 MMA, 11-6-2 UFC) has won just once in five tries in Mexico City after dropping a unanimous decision to Kavanagh (10-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) on Saturday at Arena CDMX, and this defeat raises some significant red flags about his future given the disparity in ranking.
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Kavanagh entered the fight on short notice and off a knockout loss in his previous outing. He was able to render Moreno largely ineffective. “The Assassin Baby” was outlanded 97 to 79 in significant strikes and went 0-for-8 on takedown attempts, leaving Moreno defeated for the fourth time in his past six outings.
Although Moreno expressed confidence he would win this fight and return to the title picture, the new reality is much different as the two-time former flyweight champion now is looking to keep himself afloat in the top 10 of the division.
Moreno still is only 32, but his mileage in the sport is significant. He has had many grueling fights and has admitted the pressure of carrying the flag for his country in such a prominent way has led to mental fatigue and thoughts of retirement.
This is a crossroads moment for Moreno to see if those thoughts of an exit are still lingering, or if he can find a new gear that leads to future moments of glory.
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Perhaps the loss to Kavanagh, who shows much promise, will age gracefully. For now, though, it’s a loss to someone who was unranked coming in, and as a result Moreno taking another fight below him is only sensible.
If Moreno doesn’t return until Noche UFC in September, which would be a logical timeline, someone like a Charles Johnson (18-8 MMA, 7-5 UFC) or Tagir Ulanbekov (18-3 MMA, 6-2 UFC), who are arguably deserving of this type of fight, could be good fit should they be available and in a good position around that time.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Mexico matchmaker: Who’s next for Brandon Moreno after loss?
