MEXICO CITY – Askar Askarov and Brandon Moreno fought to a split draw Saturday on the main card at UFC on ESPN+ 17 in Mexico City.
Take a look inside the fight with Moreno, who made his return to the UFC after one fight outside the promotion – and an LFA flyweight title win.
Result: Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Moreno declared split draw (28-28, 29-28 Askarov, 30-27 Moreno)
Updated records: Askarov (10-0-1 MMA, 0-0-1 UFC), Moreno (15-5-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC)
Key stat: Moreno won the striking battle 70-53, but Askarov landed four takedowns.
Moreno on the fight’s key moment
“I’m aware that I lost the second round. But the first and third, especially the first, I connected the best shots. And the third one was totally mine. I completely feel that I won that fight. It hurts my soul because I put too much sacrifice on this, but at the end of the day, this sport is like that. It’s a matter of the judges’ opinion, so there is only so much I can do about it.”
Moreno on coming back to the UFC
“I felt very happy to return to the UFC, that people were not resentful of what happened two years ago and that they supported me. They were excited that I almost got the submission in the third. They were very happy. I really appreciate it. I love the Mexican crowd.”
Moreno on what he wants next
“I don’t care (about a rematch). I just want a fight. Maybe at the end of this year, maybe January or February. But I need to come back fast.”
To hear more from Moreno, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
