Moreno cruises past Albazi in UFC Edmonton main event

Brandon Moreno is back in a big way.

The former flyweight champion dominated Amir Albazi in the UFC Edmonton main event, winning via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45) on Saturday night at Rogers Place.

Moreno looked rejuvenated as he snapped a two-fight skid in his first fight in nine months. He put on a boxing clinic and was a step ahead of Albazi for all 25 minutes, controlling the distance and outworking his opponent with crisp punches.

"I feel fantastic," Moreno said in his postfight interview. "I feel like a new guy, a new person. I knew I needed all these months, just resting with my family, and (I'd) be back tonight."

Moreno wobbled Albazi with a left hand in the fifth round to put a stamp on the one-sided performance. Albazi's face was covered in blood by the end of the fight.

During the bout, Moreno surpassed UFC legend Demetrious Johnson for the most significant strikes in UFC flyweight history (1,100 and counting), according to the broadcast.

Moreno earned his first victory since beating Deiveson Figueiredo to become a two-time flyweight champion in January 2023. "The Assassin Baby" dropped the belt to Alexandre Pantoja later that year and then suffered a surprise unanimous decision loss to Brandon Royval in the UFC Mexico City main event in February. Moreno is ranked No. 2 in the division.

Albazi stepped into the Octagon for the first time since June 2023. The Iraq native was scheduled to face Moreno in February but withdrew due to a neck injury. Albazi suffered his first loss in the UFC, falling to 5-1, and had his six-fight winning streak end.