Introduction
Brandon Moreno is the first Mexican-born UFC champion in history. A Tijuana, Baja California-born flyweight who trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, Moreno built one of the most celebrated career-arc stories in modern UFC — cut from the UFC roster in 2019 after a 4-5 record, re-signed, and then winning the UFC Flyweight Championship at UFC 263 in June 2021 with a third-round submission of Deiveson Figueiredo. The title win placed Moreno among the most beloved Mexican sports figures of his generation, and the four-fight rivalry with Figueiredo (one draw, three decisions across 2020-2023) is the most consequential divisional rivalry in modern UFC flyweight history.
This profile covers everything: the Tijuana childhood, the Mexican sports culture foundation, the 2015 UFC debut, the 2019 UFC release and subsequent return, the December 2020 UFC 256 draw with Deiveson Figueiredo, the June 2021 UFC 263 championship win by submission, the January 2022 UFC 270 title loss to Figueiredo in the rematch, the January 2023 UFC 283 trilogy win via TKO to reclaim the title, the July 2023 UFC 290 title loss to Alexandre Pantoja, and the continued 2026 active career.
Contents
Quick Stats
Background
Fighting Style
Career Highlights
Notable Rivalries
Championships and Title Reigns
Fun Facts
Legacy and Verdict
Frequently Asked Questions
References
Quick Stats
Full Name: Brandon Moreno Nieves
Nickname: The Assassin Baby
Born: December 7, 1993 (Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico)
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
Reach: 66" (168 cm)
Weight Class: Flyweight (125 lb / 57 kg)
Stance: Orthodox
Team: Team Alpha Male (Sacramento, California) under Urijah Faber
Pro Record: 22-8-1 (8 KO, 8 SUB, 6 DEC)
UFC Career Record: 12-6-1 across 19 UFC fights
UFC Debut: July 23, 2016 — UFC on Fox 21, def. Louis Smolka by UD
Belts: Former UFC Flyweight Champion (2021-2022; regained 2023, lost 2023); First Mexican-born UFC champion in history
Historic Distinction: First Mexican-born UFC champion; longest ongoing divisional rivalry in modern UFC flyweight history (Figueiredo, four fights across 2020-2023)
Background
Brandon Moreno Nieves was born on December 7, 1993 in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico — the border city on the Pacific Coast that is one of Mexico's largest urban centres. He grew up in a working-class household in Tijuana and began training martial arts in his mid-teens. The early MMA career in Mexico produced a 7-2 regional record before the UFC contract arrived in 2016. The UFC debut at UFC on Fox 21 in July 2016 was a unanimous-decision win over Louis Smolka.
The first UFC stretch from 2016-2019 was difficult. A 4-5 record across nine UFC fights — including losses to Sergio Pettis, Dustin Ortiz, and Askar Askarov — produced the UFC release in 2019. Moreno spent 2019 fighting on the regional Mexican circuit, going 3-0 with a 2020 re-signing by the UFC. The return to the Octagon was the inflection point: wins over Brandon Royval, Jussier Formiga, Alex Perez, and then the December 2020 UFC 256 draw with Deiveson Figueiredo (the closest title fight in UFC flyweight history, scored 47-47, 47-47, 47-47 by all three judges) produced the June 2021 UFC 263 rematch.
The UFC 263 submission win on June 12, 2021 was the defining moment. Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion in company history with a third-round rear-naked choke of Deiveson Figueiredo. The moment — celebrated across Mexico from Mexico City to Tijuana — produced one of the most consequential national-sports moments in Mexican MMA history. Moreno spoke in both Spanish and English in the post-fight interview, explicitly addressing his achievement as a milestone for Mexican sports culture.
Fighting Style
Moreno's style is the most balanced offensive submission-and-striking combination in modern UFC flyweight history. The 8 career KO wins and 8 career submission wins produce the most evenly-distributed dual-threat finishing record of any UFC flyweight champion. The Team Alpha Male training base under Urijah Faber has developed both the striking (Muay Thai-informed combinations) and the grappling (BJJ submissions from back-position). The signature finish is the rear-naked choke from back-take — the UFC 263 Figueiredo title-winning finish was a textbook example.
The technical signature is the forward-pressure volume striking combined with takedown entry. Moreno throws the highest significant-strikes-per-minute rate of any UFC flyweight champion of his era (7.1 SLpM during the title years), combined with active clinch work that produces back-takes and submission entries. The combination of pressure, volume, and submission threat makes Moreno uniquely dangerous across all five rounds of a championship fight.
The vulnerability is the chin and championship-distance attrition against high-power fighters. Deiveson Figueiredo exploited it at UFC 270 in January 2022 — a five-round unanimous-decision win in which Figueiredo's early-round power striking set the pace that Moreno could not maintain into the championship rounds. Alexandre Pantoja exploited the submission vulnerability at UFC 290 in July 2023 — a fourth-round rear-naked choke that ended Moreno's second title reign.
Career Highlights
UFC 263 — Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo, Sub R3 (June 12, 2021)
The title-winning fight — and the first Mexican-born UFC championship in history. Deiveson Figueiredo — the reigning UFC Flyweight Champion — was submitted by rear-naked choke at 3:32 of the third round. Performance of the Night. The post-fight interview, delivered in Spanish and English, became one of the most celebrated athletic moments in Mexican sports history in 2021.
UFC 256 — Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo, Draw (December 12, 2020)
The title fight that preceded the championship. All three judges scored the fight 47-47 — a majority draw. The most even title fight in UFC flyweight history and the moment that established Moreno as a genuine championship-level flyweight.
UFC 270 — Figueiredo def. Moreno, UD (January 22, 2022)
The first title-losing fight. Deiveson Figueiredo won the rematch by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47) to reclaim the UFC Flyweight Championship. Moreno's first championship-distance loss.
UFC 283 — Moreno def. Deiveson Figueiredo, TKO R4 (January 21, 2023)
The trilogy fight, in Rio de Janeiro. Moreno won by TKO at 3:17 of the fourth round to reclaim the UFC Flyweight Championship for the second time. The win made Moreno a two-time UFC flyweight champion and closed the Figueiredo series 2-1-1 in Moreno's favour.
UFC 290 — Pantoja def. Moreno, Sub R4 (July 8, 2023)
The title-losing fight against Alexandre Pantoja. Pantoja — Moreno's longtime training partner at Team Alpha Male — submitted Moreno by rear-naked choke at 3:32 of the fourth round. The loss ended Moreno's second UFC Flyweight Championship reign.
Notable Rivalries
Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Four fights: draw at UFC 256 (Dec 2020), Moreno win by sub R3 at UFC 263 (June 2021), Figueiredo win by UD at UFC 270 (Jan 2022), Moreno win by TKO R4 at UFC 283 (Jan 2023). Final head-to-head: Moreno 2-1-1. The most consequential and protracted divisional rivalry in modern UFC flyweight history.
Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja
Two fights: Pantoja won sub R4 at UFC 290 (July 2023) to take the title; Pantoja won UD at UFC 303 (June 2024) in the rematch. The Pantoja rivalry transferred the flyweight championship era definitively to the Pantoja era.
Brandon Moreno vs. Kai Kara-France
One fight at UFC 277 (July 2022), Moreno by TKO R3. Kara-France — the New Zealand flyweight contender — was stopped by Moreno in an interim-title fight that positioned Moreno for the UFC 283 trilogy.
Championships and Title Reigns
UFC Flyweight Champion (First Reign): June 12, 2021 — January 22, 2022 (lost to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270; 0 successful defences)
UFC Flyweight Champion (Second Reign): January 21, 2023 — July 8, 2023 (won UFC 283 trilogy; lost to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290; 0 successful defences)
Historic Distinction: First Mexican-born UFC champion in history; two-time UFC Flyweight Champion
Performance Bonuses: Multiple — Performance of the Night (Figueiredo UFC 263, Figueiredo UFC 283, Kara-France)
Notable Wins: Deiveson Figueiredo (x2), Kai Kara-France, Alex Perez, Brandon Royval, Jussier Formiga
Fun Facts
• First Mexican-born UFC champion in history — the UFC 263 win over Deiveson Figueiredo was celebrated across Mexico.
• Was released from the UFC in 2019 following a 4-5 record, then re-signed and went on to win the championship.
• Born in Tijuana, Baja California — the border city that is one of Mexico's most prominent MMA training centres.
• Trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento under Urijah Faber.
• The Figueiredo four-fight rivalry produced a draw, two Moreno wins, and one Figueiredo win — the most contested single divisional rivalry in modern UFC flyweight history.
• His post-UFC 263 interview, delivered in Spanish and English, was widely cited as one of the most celebrated athletic speeches in Mexican sports culture of 2021.
• Trained alongside Alexandre Pantoja at Team Alpha Male — the man who eventually took his title twice.
• Two-time UFC Flyweight Champion — winning the title at UFC 263 and reclaiming it at UFC 283.
Legacy and Verdict
Brandon Moreno's UFC legacy is the most celebrated Mexican sports achievement in modern UFC history. The first Mexican-born UFC championship, won at UFC 263 in June 2021, placed Moreno among the most nationally significant Mexican athletes of his generation. The four-fight Figueiredo rivalry — 2-1-1 in Moreno's favour, across a three-year period — is the most consequential divisional rivalry in modern UFC flyweight history. The two championship reigns, the post-release comeback, and the symbolic national-identity significance of the first Mexican title win form a career narrative that transcends divisional records.
The technical legacy is champion-tier. The 8 career KO wins and 8 career submission wins produce the most balanced dual-threat finishing record of any UFC flyweight champion. The active 2026 career, at age 32, continues at the top-five flyweight level. The retirement, when it eventually comes, will close one of the most consequential national-symbol careers in Mexican MMA history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Brandon Moreno the first Mexican UFC champion?
Yes. Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion in history when he submitted Deiveson Figueiredo in the third round at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021.
How many times did Moreno and Figueiredo fight?
Four times: a draw at UFC 256 (December 2020), Moreno win at UFC 263 (June 2021), Figueiredo win at UFC 270 (January 2022), and Moreno win at UFC 283 (January 2023). Final record: Moreno 2-1-1.
What is Brandon Moreno's professional MMA record?
As of mid-2026, Moreno's record is 22-8-1 (8 KO, 8 SUB, 6 DEC). UFC record 12-6-1.
Why was Moreno released from the UFC?
Moreno was released from the UFC in 2019 after a 4-5 record across nine UFC fights. He fought three times on the regional circuit in Mexico before being re-signed in 2020.
Where does Moreno train?
Moreno trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California under Urijah Faber.
Who took Moreno's title?
His first title was lost to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 270 (January 2022). His second title was lost to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290 (July 2023).
Is Moreno still active?
Yes — active UFC flyweight as of mid-2026 at age 32.
References
UFC.com — Brandon Moreno Athlete Profile