Brandon Moreno Beats Deiveson Figueiredo via TKO at UFC 283 to Win Flyweight Title

Brandon Moreno won bragging rights and the UFC flyweight championship with a third-round TKO win over Deiveson Figueiredo in the fourth chapter of their storied rivalry at UFC 283.

The victory came in a somewhat anti-climactic finish. The doctor stopped the fight between the third and fourth rounds after Moreno closed Figueiredo's eye with a one-two combination.

The two fighters picked up right where they left off with several interesting grappling exchanges early on. Figueiredo threatened with a guillotine attempt early in the first round and the five-minute frame ended with the Brazilian looking to secure a heel hook.

Between those submission attempts were some strong moments for Moreno on the feet.

That dynamic continued in the second round as Moreno was winning the striking exchanges but Deus Da Guerra jumped on a guillotine choke that took a while for Moreno to work out of.

Overall, Moreno had the early momentum in the bout thanks to his ability to push the pace and put his opponent on the defensive.

The third round was where Moreno landed the fight-changing blow. A left-right combination landed and shut Figueiredo's right eye.

While Figueiredo initially protested that it was an eye poke, the replay showed that it was Moreno's knuckle that landed in the eye before an open-handed follow-up strike hit him on the opposite side of the face.

The win gave Moreno the advantage in their series, which was tied at 1-1-1 after three epic fights. There are few matchups that fans would clamor for four times, but the ability for these two to put on classics left the organization with little choice but to schedule a fourth fight.

While the series has been fun, Moreno has made it clear he's ready to move on with his win.

"Man, the last dance, man. My plan is to make a statement in this one. My plan is to just finish Deiveson Figueiredo. I did it before, and I know, I feel it, I can do it again. I will, and that's it," he told media leading up to the fight.

At least Moreno had the benefit of fighting Kai Kara-France between his third fight with Figueiredo and the latest iteration of the matchup. Meanwhile, the Brazilian has fought Moreno four times in a row. His last non-Moreno opponent was Alex Perez in November 2020.

With the rivalry put to rest (for now), Moreno can focus his efforts on taking on challengers that have risen while he was busy doing battle with Figueiredo.

The most intriguing name in that collection right now would be Alexandre Pantoja. The Cannibal holds two wins over the current champion. He beat him in an exhibition match on The Ultimate Fighter and made it official with a decision win over him on a Fight Night card in 2018.

Now Pantoja is on the verge of a title shot with three straight wins against Manel Kape, Brandon Royval and Alex Perez.

Both fighters have obviously come a long way since their two fights, so a third fight between the two could be in order.

Essentially, Moreno might be trading in one extensive rivalry for another.