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Alexandre Pantoja became just the fifth man to hold the UFC flyweight title with a split decision win over Brandon Moreno in the co-main event of UFC 290.
UFC News @UFCNews
#UFC290 Official Result: Alexandre Pantoja (48-47, 48-47 | @PantojaMMA) defeats Brandon Moreno (49-46) by Split Decision.
All Fight Results ⤵️
Pantoja let the champion know he was in for a real challenge from the jump. The Brazilian dropped him with a left hand and cut him open with a nasty elbow from top position.
ESPN MMA @espnmma
Moreno opened up early 👀 #UFC290 pic.twitter.com/rLZEejsfU5
The tides turned once again in the third round as both fighters continued to push one another. Pantoja took Moreno’s back and threatened with a choke attempt of his own. However, Moreno rallied and had some moments too, making it feel like a pivotal round.
Kevin Iole @KevinI
VERY CLOSE THIRD, remember this. I gave it to Pantoja, 10-9. I have him up 29-28 after three. Round could go either way. #UFC290
The championship rounds didn’t fail to deliver the goods either. Moreno and Pantoja went at each other like two elite fighters who know each other well. Twitter was ablaze with hot takes for the matchup.
Luke Thomas🏋️♀️ @lthomasnews
This might be the most back-and-forth brutal flyweight title fight in UFC history if we’re talking mutually assured destruction.
Chamatkar Sandhu @SandhuMMA
Round of the Year, Fight of the Year and Card of the year. That’s UFC 290 right now. Madness.
Ultimately, Pantoja did enough to get his hand raised according to the judges. It’s a fight that fans aren’t going to mind rewatching to evaluate who they think won.
The flyweight title has been notoriously difficult to obtain since its inception in 2012. Demetrious Johnson held the belt for six years before Henry Cejudo took it and reigned until he vacated it in 2020.
Since then, it’s been a game of hot potato between Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo. Their four-fight series saw the title change hands three times.
The win also further cements his legacy as Moreno’s foil. Officially, he’s beaten him twice, but a third fight that took place on The Ultimate Fighter started their rivalry with Pantoja winning by submission.
Pantoja’s win put Brazil back on the board with a UFC champion. The nation has produced some of the best fighters of all-time but was without a champ and Pantoja is proud to break that dubious streak.
“We have no more Brazilian champions in the UFC, and I can bring the belt home,” Pantoja said, per E. Spencer Kyte of UFC.com. “That’s something very special and now I can make that happen.”
Where he goes next as champion will be interesting. Moreno has probably earned the right to get an immediate rematch, but he may not want to do that right away after fighting Figueiredo so many times.
There are other options if Moreno would rather fight someone else.
Amir Albazi is 5-0 in the UFC and just beat Kai Kara-France, albeit by split decision. Brandon Royval was the alternate for this bout. Moreno defeated him in 2020 but he’s on a three-fight win streak and there’s a new champion.
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