Former UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has announced he will be taking to some time away from mixed martial arts following his split decision loss to Brandon Royval.
‘The Baby Assassin’ has had a rough time in the octagon in recent appearances, going 2-3 in his last 5 bouts. Taking to social media, Moreno released an 8 minute long video discussing his decision to step away from the sport.
In the statement, which was translated from his native Spanish to English by MMAJunkie, Moreno reflected on his most recent loss to Royval and admitted that it has certainly played a large factory in his break. He said:
“Even a month after the fight, I’m still digesting it a bit. I’m thankful for the beautiful moment because that walk to the octagon in Arena CDMX was super cool. It was something special and very beautiful because the last time I was there was in 2019, and people already knew who I was, and I was getting cheered, but you can’t compare it to this time.
“Everyone was supporting me and singing my song, and it was beautiful.
“At the same time, it also frustrates me a bit because I tried so hard to win. The camp was very good. I managed to stay away from injuries, and I was able to work very well. I put all my heart to get the win, and it didn’t happen. I now have two consecutive losses, but they’re two weird losses. Those are losses where you can make an argument that I won. Obviously, at the end of the day, a loss is a loss. Even though one guy left to the hospital and the other had to be taken out on a wheelchair out of the arena, I still didn’t get the win. So based on that, there’s work to do.”
Although results having particularly been going his way as of late, it has certainly not been through lack of effort. Two of his three recent losses, against Royval and current champion Alexandre Pantoja, have been in razor close fights, where Moreno has found himself on the wrong side of a split decision. The former champion was very open about how the losses have affected him, explained that he is feeling drained and needs some time to with his family.
“I feel like I’m at a point in my life where I’m putting in the work, I’m dedicated, but the results just aren’t there, and it’s very frustrating.
“This is something that makes me very sad, but something that makes me who I am is that I always find a way to come back.
“I think with all the technical aspect things aside, I think I’m just tired. I’m tired of the media, the same questions, the vibe, the constant pressure. I don’t even think it’s a single moment anymore. I think it’s everything I’ve piled on my shoulders in the last few years. I’ve reached a point where my mind is stressed, and I just want to rest a bit. I’m not saying I’m 100 percent stepping away from MMA, but I do want to take a break to rest, be with my family and just be a normal person, be with my daughters, and just do new things.”
The 30-year-old was very keen to express that although he is taking time away, fans will certainly see him in the cage again but he is looking forward to being able to focus on other aspects of his life for a while, without being all consumed by MMA. He said:
?“There are many things I haven’t done because I’m 100 percent focused on my training. I just want to rest a bit. This is by no means a goodbye. Just wait for me, have patience, let my body and my mind recover, and we’ll come back to do things well.”
