“Every single time when I’m fighting in front of my people is super-special,” began Moreno, who makes his third straight main event appearance at Arena CDMX this weekend, facing off with Lone’er Kavanagh in the main event of Saturday’s Fight Night event on Paramount+, shifting in his seat, eager to respond before the question was even done being asked. “Representing my country, my flag gives me a lot of responsibility, but at the same time, I feel super-grateful to do it, super-grateful to the UFC to give me the opportunity to represent my country with them, with the biggest mixed martial arts company in the world.
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“This moment is always special, always super-nice,” he added. “It’s my third main event here in Mexico City in a row, and I’m enjoying it.”
There is a strong likelihood that Moreno is enjoying things a little more this time around than his previous couple of appearances in the Mexican capital, as this is the first time he’s returned to Arena CDMX after earning a victory there in his previous appearance.
After faltering in his first UFC main event assignment against Sergio Pettis back in his initial tour of duty with the promotion, Moreno headlined the event when the company returned to Mexico City in 2024, dropping a split decision to Brandon Royval that prompted him to take a brief sabbatical to recharge his batteries. Following a return to action — and the win column — in November of that year, the Tijuana native was tabbed to headline again last year and finally secured his first win on home soil, besting Steve Erceg over five rounds.
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Now, he’s back at it again, and though he proudly carries the Mexican flag into battle wherever he competes, doing so in front of his people carries extra importance and weight for the decorated veteran.
“(In) the end, it’s because I’m fighting in the country,” Moreno said when asked why these opportunities mean so much to him. “I’m representing Mexico around the world in mixed martial arts, on the biggest stage of mixed martial arts, and that makes everything different.
“Obviously, I’ve been fighting in other spots with a lot of Mexican crowds, and it’s special, but hey —you’re in your land, you’re in the capital of your country, and that makes everything super-special.”
As he readies to begin his 2026 campaign, Moreno does so in an unfamiliar position and facing questions that haven’t been asked of him in some time. The combination of his UFC 323 loss to Tatsuro Taira and the continued rise of Kyoji Horiguchi has Moreno outside the Top 5 for the first time in eons, and while he enters this weekend’s battle with Kavanagh stationed at No. 6 in the rankings, not everyone is sure he’s on solid footing there.
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The complexion of the division has shifted dramatically since Moreno last sat upon the throne, with Joshua Van emerging as the new champion and fighters like Taira, Horiguchi, and Manel Kape joining Royval and former titleholder Alexandre Pantoja in the Top 5. After getting submitted at the end of 2025, there are questions about Moreno’s motivations and goals, whether he can get back into the title picture, or if this is the start of his receding from contention.
As expected, the former champion tackled the questions head-on.
“I still feel the motivation to do it, and my abilities are enough to be the champion again,” he said when asked about continuing to chase the title and potentially returning to the top of the division. “Right now, the competition is on fire with our new champion, new contenders, younger fighters; everything looks super-nice right now for the flyweight division.
“But I still feel like I’m in the conversation, I still feel like I have the abilities to fight for the title again, and I have to prove it.”
He paused for a beat, and then added, “And man, this s*** is fun!”
The first step in proving he still has what it takes to contend in the 125-pound weight class comes on Saturday when he faces off with Kavanagh, the 26-year-old prospect who stepped up when Moreno’s original opponent, Asu Almabayev, was forced out of the contest with a hand injury.
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“He’s young; he’s the new blood of the division,” Moreno said of his opponent. “He’s gonna come super-motivated — he’s coming from a loss, so that puts something inside of your soul. He’s gonna try to prove to himself and prove to the UFC he’s ready for the biggest stage, and he’s gonna try to do the opposite here in Mexico City, but I’m ready.”
Though he very much believes he’s still amongst the division’s elite, Moreno knows he has to show it rather than just say it, which is why his focus for this year isn’t on the belt, but on being as active as possible.
“My motivations and my goal for 2026 is being active,” he said. “I want to fight as soon as possible after this one.
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“Obviously, I’m giving all the respect to Lone’er; I know he’s gonna be a good challenge for me. He’s super-explosive, gonna come super-motivated and super-excited to get the victory.
“First, I have to win,” Moreno added, making sure to once again acknowledge the task at hand. “I don’t know about a specific date, but first is going to be a victory on February 28, raise my hand, and then let’s see what happens.”
As the headliner, the first Mexican champion in UFC history and the athlete that has been at the vanguard the wave of Mexican talent that has swept through the organization in recent years, there has always been and remains a great deal of pressure on Moreno — to lead events like this, to stand as an example for the emerging names looking to follow in his footsteps.
But as far as the 32-year-old is concerned, it’s something that is ever-present and welcomed.
“The pressure is always there,” he said with his trademark smile. “Pressure is a luxury.”
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