Moreno will be a long-lasting champion, says Chaves

Boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez congratulated Brandon Moreno for becoming the first Mexican-born fighter to become UFC champion after defeating Deiveson Figueiredo to win the flyweight belt.

“I was very pleased, the truth, I congratulate him. He fought a great fight. I know Moreno, he’s a kid with a lot of skills and thank God his dream came true,” said Chavez in an interview with USA TODAY Sports’ MMA Junkie.

Chavez, accustomed throughout his career to being champion, hopes Moreno can keep the belt he won last weekend at the UFC 263 pay-per-view fight at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, for a long time.

“He [Brandon] must know that the hard part isn’t getting there, it’s staying there. The little guy has his feet on the ground and he’s going to be a lasting champion, first and foremost, God,” Chavez said.

Brandon Moreno defeated by submission the Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo, who had not finished his career. In the third round, Brandon submitted the Brazilian with a rear-naked choke to strip him of the 125 lbs. belt.

Moreno celebrated his championship effusively, he could not hold back the tears for a few minutes and even the first statements he gave after the historic fight went viral, because of the effusiveness he did not contain.

“I come from a country in which many times we use the ‘yes we can, yes we can’. And sometimes we don’t make it, but today we did it, c[…], today we did it!”, were some of the words he said after becoming the first Mexican UFC champion.