Once again perched atop the 125-pound weight class, Moreno finds no shortage of suitable challengers in pursuit behind him. He closed out his historic tetralogy with archrival Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 283, where he reclaimed the flyweight crown with a third-round technical knockout on Jan. 21. The win moved Moreno to 9-3-2 inside the Octagon and gave him a 2-1-1 edge in his head-to-head series with Figueiredo. He now boasts 16 finishes among his 21 pro victories.
As Moreno turns his attention to his next title defense against Alexandre Pantoja in the UFC 290 co-main event on July 8, here are five things you might not know about him:
1. His handlers chose a sink-or-swim introduction.
Moreno made his professional mixed martial arts debut at the age of 17 on April 30, 2011, when he disposed of Atiq Jihad with a triangle choke in the first round of their encounter under the Ultimate Warrior Challenge banner. He went on to fight nine times as a teenager, compiling an impressive 6-3 record while learning on the job.
2. Reality television did not treat him well.
“The Assassin Baby” competed on Season 24 of “The Ultimate Fighter” as a former World Fighting Federation champion but failed to advance beyond the first round in the 16-man field. Alexandre Pantoja eliminated Moreno from the tournament by submitting him with a rear-naked choke.
3. Durability has been an enduring quality.
Moreno has never been finished in his 29-fight career, as bouts on “The Ultimate Fighter”—like his aforementioned loss to Pantoja—are categorized as exhibitions under Nevada Athletic Commission rules. All six of Moreno’s official defeats have resulted in decisions.
4. He keeps good company.
The 5-foot-7, 125-pound Moreno now operates out of the acclaimed Fortis MMA camp in Dallas, where he continues his development under trainer Sayif Saud. There, he has access to a number of top-shelf stablemates, from Alex Morono and Geoff Neal to Diego Ferreira, Matt Schnell and Ryan Spann.
5. He was the first of his kind—but not the last.
Moreno became the first Mexico native to capture an undisputed UFC championship when he struck flyweight gold with a third-round rear-naked choke submission of Figueiredo in the second installment of their rivalry at UFC 263 on June 12, 2021. Alexa Grasso recently joined him on the exclusive list when she upset Valentina Shevchenko for the women’s flyweight crown at UFC 285.