From Paris to Madrid, UFC to LaLiga, Brandon Moreno’s Euro journey takes his model to the following stage

MADRID — Brandon Moreno attended a VIP occasion on Friday, Sept. 2, on the Eiffel Tower. The invitation was made by Ari Emanuel, the CEO of UFC guardian firm Endeavor.

Overlooking the Metropolis of Gentle, the UFC’s interim flyweight champion and his supervisor, Jason Home, chatted with Emanuel hours earlier than UFC Paris. The dialog revolved across the UFC’s growth plans in Latin America — together with the upcoming UFC Efficiency Institute in Mexico Metropolis — and the way Moreno, the promotion’s first Mexican-born champion, components into them.

“[Emanuel] was simply very complimentary,” Home instructed ESPN. “He is very excited for the longer term, and we instructed him the identical. We’re very excited to be part of his course of and to be a brick within the basis.”

Moreno, born in Tijuana, is already the face of the UFC in Mexico and a cog within the firm’s future in Latin America. UFC president Dana White referred to him final month as “one of many greatest stars on the roster.”

However Moreno made the journey to Europe this summer time to increase his profile much more internationally. He visited Italy, Paris and Spain, the place he was escorted round Valencia and Madrid by executives from LaLiga, the nation’s legendary soccer league as a part of a collaboration with the UFC.

“I perceive my market is in Mexico and the USA, proper?” Moreno mentioned. “However to me, it is very particular to go to a complete totally different nation, to a spot the place I am not anticipating nothing. I do not count on the man to know my identify or no matter. However individuals know my identify and are asking for an autograph or no matter. It is particular, too. The aim proper now could be to be extra acknowledged around the globe. I am placing within the work proper now.”

That is all a part of the plan, Home mentioned. It began again in March when Moreno went to UFC London to do some media appearances.

“I feel actually our aim is to make Brandon a world star,” Home mentioned. “Not only a star in North America. However to extend our presence in these markets. These are huge markets the UFC is increasing into and we sort to need to be part of that progress. Make sure that Brandon is capitalizing on the alternatives that his success has offered.”

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MORENO COVERED HIS mouth along with his fingers, nearly in awe. Enrique, the chef of the well-known Casa Navarro restaurant in Valencia, displayed his famous paella to the table, which ignored the seashore.

Throughout the desk from Moreno for the Sunday afternoon meal was UFC featherweight prospect Ilia Topuria, who lives in Alicante, about two hours south of Valencia. After lunch, LaLiga officers whisked the 2 fighters over to Mestalla, the 99-year-old stadium of soccer workforce Valencia CF. Moreno and Topuria spoke with teenagers from Valencia’s academy groups after which got a tour of the classic stadium by information Melanie Gasulla.

Exterior the house locker room, Moreno and Topuria met gamers earlier than the sport and obtained to see the pitch, the place each joked round with Valencia mascot Tremendous Bat. Topuria even grounded the character down with a single-leg takedown for laughs. Afterward, they stayed for the sport, a 5-1 win for Valencia over Getafe.

Moreno and Topuria have been each inundated with requests for photographs from followers throughout their keep at Mestalla. After the sport, there have been followers ready outdoors the stadium who have been instructed that the gamers had already left. The followers mentioned they have been truly there to see Moreno and Topuria.

“They have been asking for them,” LaLiga North American vice chairman Nicolas Garcia Hemme mentioned. “They knew them. They noticed them.”

When LaLiga and the UFC cooked up the thought to collaborate — the idea is there’s a large crossover viewers amongst Hispanic People — Spanish league execs requested for Moreno to return over particularly.

“Brandon is unbelievable,” mentioned Adrian Segovia, the LaLiga North America head of content material and distribution. “He is an instance of a household man. He is changing into a legend for [the UFC]. He is a winner. But in addition he is additionally a household man with all of the ideas that persons are shifting towards. We predict that is actually one thing that connects with the values of LaLiga.”

The expertise was an impactful one for Moreno, who grew up humbly in Tijuana taking part in FIFA video video games and dealing for his parents’ piñata business. A day later, Moreno was taken by practice to Madrid to go to Cívitas Metropolitano, the house of LaLiga’s Atlético de Madrid. And Wednesday, Moreno would go to with the long-lasting Actual Madrid membership throughout city.

“LaLiga from Spain is loopy, man,” the 28-year-old Moreno mentioned. “It has lots of historical past and lots of soccer tradition. It was superior.”

That is the sort of alternative that Moreno is making an attempt to capitalize on, although, in an effort to construct his identify.

“Sitting on my sofa will not be the way in which to get extra consideration and extra eyes on my private model,” Moreno mentioned. “I must exit and meet extra individuals and extra crowd. That is why we’re right here.”

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THE CURRENT PLAN, Home mentioned, is for Moreno to combat champion Deiveson Figueiredo to unify the UFC flyweight title subsequent. The bout is prone to happen at UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Figueiredo’s residence nation.

Moreno and Figueiredo have met thrice earlier than. The primary bout, in December 2020, was a majority draw and the most effective fights of that yr. Moreno received the rematch through submission in June 2021 to turn out to be the primary Mexican-born champion in UFC historical past. Figueiredo then obtained the higher of Moreno at UFC 270 again in January through tight unanimous choice to win the belt again.

At UFC 277 on July 30, Moreno beat Kai Kara-France through third-round TKO to win the interim title, which was placed on the road as a result of Figueiredo had accidents to each fingers. If and when Figueiredo and Moreno meet once more, it is going to be the primary time in UFC historical past that two fighters compete towards one another 4 instances.

“For Brandon and I, the phrase we at all times use is legacy,” Home mentioned. “I feel proper now we’re writing chapters of his legacy. And the fourth combat with Figueiredo, doing that quadrilogy is an important a part of that legacy. We’re actually excited to win this one and cement Brandon’s place as one of many prime champions ever within the flyweight division after which tackle the up and coming challengers which can be gonna current themselves.”

After he received the title in 2021, Moreno went on a prolonged media tour in Mexico, together with a visit to fulfill Mexican president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Moreno is beloved in his residence nation, and Home feels assured his shopper may promote out Caliente Stadium in Tijuana — upward of 25,000 individuals — proper now. It is an MMA path that was paved first by Cain Velasquez, the primary Mexican American fighter to win the UFC heavyweight title and the most effective fighters ever to compete in that division.

Velasquez parted with the UFC in 2019 and was recently charged with tried premeditated homicide and a number of gun assault costs in March 2022.

“I feel Cain opened lots of doorways for us,” Home mentioned. “I feel we have continued what Cain began. Cain clearly was an enormous affect in Latin America, in Mexico. I undoubtedly assume he created alternatives for us that we have capable of take to the following stage. And somebody hopefully will come behind our footsteps and go away it higher.”

That is one in all Moreno’s objectives, too. He desires to take Mexican and Latin American MMA to better heights, however not only for him, for the following technology of fighters, too. Moreno mentioned he spoke about that with Emanuel, as nicely.

“Clearly, I do that for myself, to be the most effective and do one thing for my household,” Moreno mentioned. “However on the similar time, if I can do one thing for different individuals, I’ll. I promise. Ari appears to be like very completely satisfied, very motivated in regards to the concepts sooner or later for Mexico and Latin America, usually.”

White has lengthy mentioned he wished a homegrown UFC star from Mexico. “He has one now,” Home mentioned. And Moreno and his workforce do not plan on stopping there. On Sept. 5, Moreno spoke about his need to combat in entrance of a packed soccer stadium in Spain, like Cívitas Metropolitano, a stunning, high-tech facility that seats greater than 68,000.

Not dangerous for a child who had a modest upbringing in Tijuana.

“Typically, I attempt to not assume an excessive amount of about it,” Moreno mentioned. “I am feeling strain day by day. Man, beginning with needing to combat towards one other man, that is strain. Preventing in entrance of 1000’s of individuals, extra strain. And belts, extra strain. The media.

“However undoubtedly, it is very good to assume how my work goes around the globe and being acknowledged by the individuals, the UFC, the followers. It is good.”