Welcome to “the good guy era.”
This according to Jason House of Iridium Sports Agency, who manages UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno. Moreno defends his title Saturday at UFC 270 against the man he took it from, Deiveson Figueiredo.
Since he won the title at UFC 263, not much has changed for the promotion’s first Mexico-born champion. He’s still “The Assassin Baby.” He’s still a fan of Legos and Funko Pop figures. He’s still eternally positive.
As someone who has witnessed Moreno’s rise to the UFC, his promotional release, and his return to become champion, House said his fighter has remained the same person – despite the uptick in fame.
“I think for Brandon he really does this for the glory, to see how good he can be, just to see how far he can push himself,” House recently told MMA Junkie. “All the stuff that comes with glory, all the fruits of his labor, I know he appreciates it, but it’s not why he does it. I think his best asset is his mind. I truly believe that. He is one-of-a-kind. Obviously we spent a ton of time together these past few months on media tours and preparing for this fight. It’s business as usual for him.
“I’m very impressed because while I feel like the temperature internally has not changed, the temperature externally has, if that makes sense. Because so many people around him are bringing up, ‘Oh, you’re the champ. You’re the man. You’re this, you’re that.’ He’s just the same. He goes now to his family, his wife, and his kids, and works his ass off.”
Following an era in which fighters were seemingly trying to out-do each other’s nastiness, House feels refreshed by those who have succeeded in the past year. Besides Moreno, lightweight Charles Oliveira and light heavyweight Glover Teixeira, two of the most respected fighters in the sport, have both earned gold, too.
“What you see is what you get (with Moreno), and I think that’s why the world has really resonated with him,” House said. “I feel like in an era that I think is ‘the good guy era’ right now with (Charles) Oliveira and (Dustin) Poirier and Brandon, the likes. These are good people. I think they’re just themselves, and they don’t have to talk trash to sell a fight.”
Moreno just won the title in June. UFC 270 will be his first attempt at a successful title defense. In order to instill his legacy, House thinks it’s important for Moreno to not only be the best, but to stay the best – something he thinks will be the case in the coming years.
“I feel like anyone can do something once,” House said. “It’s when you are good for a decade or two decades, that’s when you really build your legacy.”
UFC 270 takes place Saturday at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view after prelims on ESPN/ESPN+.