UFC Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno has revealed how Rose Namajunas inspired him prior to his title victory at UFC 263.
In a highly-anticipated rematch against Deiveson Figueiredo last weekend, Moreno locked in a third-round rear-naked choke, forcing the Brazilian to tap.
The co-main event win for “The Assassin Baby” was one of the highlights of the pay-per-view, which also featured a five-round war between Nate Diaz and Leon Edwards and a middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Marvin Vettori.
During the UFC 263 post-fight press conference, Brandon Moreno stated Figueiredo’s face-off push had no effect on him in the build-up.
“I don’t care. You can push me 100 times if you want, but nothing changed. I’ll be the next flyweight champion of the world, and I am the best, you know?”
The 27-year-old went on to reveal how Rose Namajunas’ recent display at UFC 261 inspired him ahead of his own title opportunity.
“I have a lot of memories with Rose Namajunas. That was a special moment for me. Because she was an underdog against Joanna, and she was an underdog against Weili. And I remember that moment when she started to say to (herself), ‘I’m the best! I’m the best!’ That was like, whoa. You need to believe that. And my mind is built with another material definitely.”
At UFC 261, Namajunas shocked the world when she knocked out Zhang Weili in the opening round. “Thug Rose” became a two-time UFC Strawweight Champion and, in doing so, broke Weili’s 21-fight winning streak.
Moreno’s remarkable submission victory certainly showed resemblance to Namajunas’ championship crowning and received a similar reaction from the live crowd.
Having become the first Mexican-born champion in UFC history, Moreno will now look to defend his gold and build a commanding reign over the 125-pound division.
How many times do you think Moreno will defend his title?
