Brandon Moreno is tired of waiting for his next Octagon assignment and wants to return to action as soon as possible.
Moreno injured his hand in his split-decision title loss to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 in July. The defeat marked Moreno’s second career loss at the hands of “The Cannibal.”
However, while Moreno has fully recovered from the injury, there has been almost no talk of his next booking.
Moreno claims the Ultimate Fighting Championship had reached out to him about a fight against surging contender Amir Albazi (17-1) in December but nothing concrete was laid out.
“They told me, Amir. They told me about December, but nothing was real, nothing was official. So right now, I’m waiting for a specific name to make it official. I know Amir is there. I think it’s the most logical fight in line for me with Amir. The winner can fight for the title in the next one. I know Amir is there,” Moreno told MMA Junkie.
“The Assassin Baby” admits that the wait is frustrating at times, especially considering how the UFC recently turned down his offer to serve as the backup for the upcoming UFC 296 title fight between Pantoja and Brandon Royval.
“That’s the most frustrating part here, because I’m healthy. I’ve been waiting for a fight. Actually, I put a little pressure with the UFC like, ‘Hey, I want to fight in December. I want to be active.’ If they needed, I could be the replacement for the title fight on Dec. 16, but they didn’t give me nothing. I tried to be very stoic and calm and relaxed. I’m just waiting for my moment. I’ve been using all this time to improve myself.”
There have been rumors of the promotion's possible return to Mexico in 2024, which could be a reason for the delay in Moreno’s next booking. While fighting in front of his home fans would be an honor for the Tijuana native, returning to action at the earliest remains his top priority.
“If it’s in Mexico in front of my people, it would be very cool. Obviously, the altitude in Mexico City is a real challenge. I have to be prepared for that. But I’m ready. I’ve been the champion in the past and I know I can be the champion again. I just have to be calm, focused and ready for whatever is happening in the future. But January, February – I’m in,” the 29-year-old said.
Ranked No. 3 on the flyweight ladder, Iraq’s Albazi is undefeated in five UFC outings and is coming off a split-decision win over former interim title contender Kai Kara-France in June.
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