I need to admit this up front: I don’t fully understand Brandon Moreno. How can a guy so nice, so full of positive energy, so genuine, just completely flip a switch when he gets in the cage to compete? I had just gotten off a phone call with the UFC’s flyweight champ — who defends his belt in a highly anticipated trilogy with Deiveson Figueiredo on Saturday — and that’s all I could think about.
“Thank you brother! Have a great day!” he said as our conversation ended.
I’ve encountered countless fighters over the years and I’ll go as far as to say most are good people. But something about Moreno stood out to me like few others have.
This wasn’t a schtick. He doesn’t just turn on the charm for the media. Go check out his social media feed, filled with photos of him smiling with friends and family or showing off a completed Lego set — his other passion in life. Yes, one of the baddest men on the planet spends his free time building the set of the TV show “Friends” out of tiny plastic bricks.
But as any of his previous opponents would say, don’t let this wholesome image of Moreno fool you.
