Former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns on UFC 323’s main card to face Tatsuro Taira. But the road back to fight week hasn’t been easy. After losing his title to Alexandre Pantoja and then suffering a razor-close split-decision defeat to Brandon Royval in February 2024, the Mexican star found himself at a breaking point. The pressure, expectations, and nonstop grind had worn him down, and he seriously considered walking away.

“I was super stressed and tired, and I just needed a little time off,” he told MMA Fighting. What he needed more than anything was space. As he put it, “Just a few months to spend time with my family, out of the gym to be with my daughters, to be with my wife.” Fortunately for fans, Moreno didn’t retire. His family became the anchor that pulled him back from

See Full Page