Advice from the “terrible” for Moreno

Brandon Moreno has nearly a decade as a mixed martial arts professional, but just this June his life changed forever.

Holding the UFC flyweight belt has put him in the spotlight. He is the first Mexican-born fighter to win a championship and as a result, the attention of the media, fans and even the authorities who want to appear in the photo has multiplied.

In his most recent visit to Mexico City, where President Andrés Manuel López Obrador received him at the National Palace, Moreno had the opportunity to meet one of his idols, his countryman Érik ‘Terrible’ Morales, and he did not miss the opportunity.

Moreno had many questions for a Tijuana legend who has already lived the whole experience. Of stardom, success and also everything that comes with the end of a career.

“Nobody teaches us how to behave in success. I recommend you, now that you are the world champion, you already have the respect of the people and the fighters. But now everyone wants to rip your head off, you can be very good in all the arts, but don’t be confident, because it comes harder than at the beginning. Defending is very difficult because everyone has the hunger, the desire, it’s something very internal, it’s a very determining factor, you always have to get to the top”, explained ‘Terrible’ to the UFC 125 lbs. king.

Moreno has already gone through all the stages in the octagon. He arrived with three UFC victories that made him the top prospect in his category, but then lost in his first main event, at the Arena Ciudad de Mexico, and almost a year later he would be cut from the promotion after losing to Brazilian Alexandre Pantoja in Chile.

Moreno’s return to the UFC was an emotional one. Since being given a new opportunity in September 2019, he has fought six times undefeated (4-0-2).

“Now, chingale chingazos, don’t go out with that chuchita la bolsearon, because people are hallucinating that you’re the boss of bosses there. We want a champion for a while,” added the member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Morales explained that, although he saw his last fight when he dethroned Brazilian Deiveson Figueiredo, he finds it hard to follow MMA, because he feels claustrophobic with the keys and chokes of jiu-jitsu, to which Moreno replied with a laugh: “When you shot Barrera, I didn’t see claustrophobia”.

The talk continued on the topic of his career. Brandon is 27 years old and feels in his physical prime, but he knows that it won’t be like this forever, that the decline of his body will come someday and Erik shared his experience.

“You have to start making up for things, boxing is about speed or technique. When I was young I would stop the punch and answer right there, when I got to 30 I couldn’t do it anymore. Then what I did was to anticipate, I reviewed the video and studied, if the opponent threw jab-jab-straight, I saw the double jab and I would go straight ahead, but the magic doesn’t always work.

The Entram Gym fighter, ranked number one by ESPN at 125 pounds, assured to be well backed for the future. “There’s a long way to go, but I’m well focused. So far I feel I’ve done well, I have everything to make it, I have to keep up the hard work, surround myself with the right people and keep doing what I’m doing and everything will turn out great.”

Morales then spoke to him about the facet of trainer that he now lives, with his great prospect, middleweight Jaime Munguía, who has helped him to appreciate the things that he could not when it was his turn to concentrate on fighting.

“The truth is very exciting, we never value how many people see us, what emotions they have and it’s contagious, it’s very nice. Jaime is a good guy, he is a good boxer, he trains very hard, he has a lot of desire and I am sure he is going to be a good boxer,” added Morales.

After exchanging compliments and autographs on a pair of gloves. “El Terrible” took the opportunity to remind him not to get carried away with all the noise that accompanies him today.

“Did you see Andy Ruiz? He forgot, it’s all nice, the excitement, the champion, the cameras and everything. That will disappear if you lose and if you don’t get your act together and do what you have to do,” he said.

Although both grew up in Tijuana and Brandon came to train boxing at Morales’ Zona Norte gym, they never met. Years later, Brandon got great advice and Erik was pleasantly surprised to see the connection he has with the mixed martial arts champion.