Moreno dominant in return; Blanchfield competes at UFC Edmonton

Two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno handed Amir Albazi his first loss with a high-volume striking clinic to earn a unanimous decision in the main event of UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta.

Moreno (22-8-2) returned from a self-imposed layoff following a split decision loss to Brandon Royval in February and sent a message to the division that “The Assassin Baby” is after the gold.

The judges scored it 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 for Moreno, who outscored Albazi 124-56 in significant strikes.

“I want to be on top again,” Moreno said. “I want my title back. This (performance) is a reminder for the rest of the division.”

Moreno, 30, showed a clear advantage in striking, relying on his range and combinations to prevent Albazi from using his wrestling. In the second round, Moreno buckled Albazi’s knee with a head kick and stung his opponent with a long jab. Albazi (17-1) tried to take the fight to the canvas, but Moreno got back to his feet and got a mental advantage for the rest of the fight.

Albazi’s face began to fall apart in round 3 as Moreno continued to pepper him with combinations. Unable to track down the former champion, Albazi resorted to following Moreno around the Octagon, eating strikes every time he tried to close the distance.

With the fight well in hand, Moreno looked to put a stamp on his performance and buzzed Albazi with a hard left hand in the final round. Not content to cruise to a win, Moreno pursued a finish to the final bell.

Moreno ended a two-fight losing streak, while Albazi’s first loss puts his pursuit of a championship fight on hold.

There is a logjam at the top of the flyweight division. In December, Alexandre Pantoja will defend the 125-pound championship against former RIZIN champion Kai Asakura at UFC 310. Kai Kara-France and Royval await their turn for a title opportunity after picking up big wins in their recent outings, while Moreno is came back in. conversation and aims to become the division’s first three-time champion.

In the women’s flyweight co-main event, Erin Blanchfield dug herself out of an early deficit and used her youth and aggression to win a unanimous decision against former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.

Namajunas (13-7) was in control in the first two rounds behind a sharp jab, excellent footwork and robust takedown defense. Realizing she couldn’t outclass Namajunas with striking, Blanchfield (13-2) aggressively closed the distance and worked in takedowns.

The strategy worked as Blanchfield neutralized Namajunas’ boxing by crowding her space. All three judges had the fight even heading into the final round, but Blanchfield pressed the action, securing a takedown and controlling Namajunas from top position for the round.

Blanchfield, 25, got back into the win column after a decision loss to Manon Fiorot in March. The UFC’s No. 3-ranked flyweight inches closer to a title shot with the win. Namajunas, 32, is 2-2 at flyweight since moving up a weight class in 2023.