UFC Flyweight Champion Alexandre Pantoja was watching on as Brandon Moreno returned to winning ways in memorable fashion this past weekend.
Pantoja unseated Moreno from the 125-pound throne in July 2023, falling on the right side of a split decision in a memorable contest widely seen as last year's best fight. Since then, "The Cannibal" has cemented his grip on the crown with successful defenses opposite Brandon Royval and Steve Erceg.
"The Assassin Baby," meanwhile, has been looking to work his way back to the Brazilian. That endeavor got underway on the wrong foot this past February in Mexico City, where Moreno once again found his opponent β Royval, this time β getting the nod on two out of the three scorecards.
That left the Mexican outlining plans for an extended break from competition and seemingly out of the flyweight title equation for the foreseeable future. But he returned to it in Edmonton on Saturday night, and in some style.
In the main event, Moreno handed Albazi his first defeat in the UFC, beating "The Prince" up across five rounds en route to a lopsided decision victory.
The former two-time champ received heavy praise across the community in the aftermath, including from a multi-time opponent of his. But Pantoja didn't miss an opportunity to slide in a small jibe at the victorious Moreno in his X post...
"Very good fight my son," Pantoja wrote in Portuguese.
Pantoja's victory over Moreno last year marked his third over the Mexican in MMA. While the Brazilian's gotten the better of him twice in professional UFC bouts, he also forced a tap from "The Assassin Baby" way back in 2016 during season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter.
With Moreno's triumph in Canada on Nov. 2, it appears that a rare tetralogy could be on the table despite the Mexican's 3-0 deficit to Pantoja. Before that comes to fruition, though, both men would appear to have some work to do.
In addition to Moreno acknowledging that he likely requires another strong performance to secure a shot, Pantoja is currently gearing up for his third defense. He'll welcome former Rizin titleholder Kai Asakura to the Octagon at UFC 310 next month.