Julio Cesar Chavez reacts to Brandon Moreno’s win over Deiveson Figueiredo

GiveMeSport

scores

By Tom Ward

Published Jun 17, 2021

Julio Cesar Chavez has congratulated Brandon Moreno following his win over Deiveson Figueiredo

Julio Cesar Chavez Sr has sent a classy message to Brandon Moreno after his fellow Mexican became the new UFC flyweight champion on Saturday night.

Moreno (19-5-2), of Tijuana, Mexico, decrowned former champ Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event of UFC 263 in Glendale, Arizona, dominating the Brazilian in a near-perfect display.

'The Assassin Baby' won the fight via submission in the second round of their flyweight title rematch. With this win, Moreno became the first Mexican to win a UFC title. This win also earned him the Performance of the Night bonus as a reward.

Cesar Chavez Sr has long been an admirer of Moreno, having often watched him from afar, and was one of the first to congratulate his fellow countryman following his win over Figueiredo.

“Yes, of course [I heard the news],” Chavez said to MMA Junkie. “I want to send him congratulations.

"It gave me a lot of joy and I want to congratulate him publicly. He truly gave a great fight.

"I know of Brandon Moreno. He’s a kid with a lot of talents and abilities and, thanks to God, he achieved his dream.”

“I think he should know already that the hard part is not getting there but staying there,” he added. “I think he has his feet well on the ground and I think he’ll be a champion for a long time, God willing.”

Former decorated world champion Cesar Chavez Sr will face Hector Camacho Jr in an four-round exhibition bout to honour the legacy of his father 'Macho' Camacho on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, Moreno has made it clear he wants to fight again this year, although he may be forced to wait a while as he faces a potential six-month layoff due to injury.

UFC president Dana White remained coy over what was next for Moreno, but admitted that even he was taken aback by his performance on the night.

He said: “I’ll be brutally honest with you. Going into this fight, I didn’t see how Moreno wins this fight.

"Figueiredo is a savage, and I thought the second fight was going to be much different than the first. And I was right, but I was wrong. Good for him, incredible performance tonight.

"Looked like Figueiredo couldn’t get off, he was slow, but Moreno made it look easy, man, and he’s the first ever Mexican-born champion for the UFC, so good for him."