Ex-UFC champ Brandon Moreno refreshed by break from MMA: 'I feel very motivated to fight'

MIAMI – Brandon Moreno had to step away from the fight game.

He wasn’t injured. He wasn’t looking to do something else or retire. He had enough and needed to take a break from what he loves most.

Moreno, a former UFC flyweight champion, surprised many by announcing earlier this year that he was stepping away from MMA competition temporarily. Although on a two-fight skid, Moreno was just 30, highly ranked and considered arguably the biggest name in the division.

“At some point the obligations, responsibilities and all the stresses makes you not enjoy as much what you initially loved,” Moreno told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I feel that way again and that makes me very happy because every time that I felt that way, I’ve always performed well.”

Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC) is officially back and scheduled to headline a UFC Fight Night in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, on Nov. 2. He takes on top contender Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC).

The Mexican fighter wasn’t gone for long; he most recently fought in February. In fact, he’s had bigger lulls in between fights before. Yet, the break was not so much the time, but about putting a pause on things.

“Right now, I find myself in a really good moment,” Moreno said. “The time I was away from MMA really helped me to clear my head and be with my family without thinking about fighting.

“Even though I was only doing one or two fights a year, I would fight, and immediately I would already be asked when my next fight would be and against who. When you have an opponent and date set, you could still be two, four months away, but you have that fighting chip inside you, and you’re not 100 percent relaxed. I took this time to breathe and just spend time with my daughter and wife and just enjoy life.”

Moreno used the time to rehab some injuries and attend his body. Although he says the break was much-needed, he can’t lie and say he didn’t miss fighting.

“As an athlete you’re also accustomed to train every day, the competition, so there is a point when you’re like, ‘Man, I want to return,’ but you have to fight yourself so you can relax and wind down,” Moreno said. “I feel very motivated to fight at this moment.”