Former UFC flyweight titleholder Brandon Moreno has a new opponent for the headlining bout of a UFC Fight Night event that will take place in Mexico City on February 24.
The UFC’s long-awaited return to Mexico City was huge news for fight fans after last year’s Noche UFC event took place in Las Vegas, and the card was given a pivotal flyweight main event between Mexico’s Moreno and #2-ranked Amir Albazi.
The matchup would have given Albazi a chance to add to his six-fight win streak and possibly earn a shot at the UFC flyweight title, but unfortunately “The Prince” announced that he had to withdraw from the fight due to a neck injury.
Losing one half of the Mexico City main event just over a month out from the card put the UFC in a difficult spot, but luckily #3-ranked Brandon Royval quickly stepped up to replace Albazi and will now take on Moreno on February 24.
“Raw Dawg” is coming off a failed bid to claim the flyweight belt from Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 296, but prior to that Royval was on a three-fight win streak that included back-to-back finishes in the first round.
Moreno and Royval previously met in 2020 at UFC 255, where “The Assassin Baby” capitalized on his opponent’s shoulder injury to end the fight with strikes late in the first round before he took on Deiveson Figueiredo for the first time later that year.
The headlining bout in Mexico City will be Moreno’s first fight since he lost the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, and the card also features former interim flyweight champ Yair Rodriguez taking on Brian Ortega in the co-main event.
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