MIAMI – Demetrious Johnson is officially done with MMA. And like many, Brandon Moreno can’t say enough good things about his fighting career.
Johnson, who’s considered by many the greatest flyweight in MMA history and an all-time great, announced his retirement from MMA on Friday in an emotional message at during the ONE 168 broadcast. The big news left many with plenty to say, including Moreno.
“Incredible,” Moreno told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I actually had the opportunity to meet with him a few weeks ago. I trained with him. He’s an incredible person and very cool, chill guy.
“He’s a legend of the sport, and he’s at a bare minimum top five greatest of all time. So yeah, all the best to him. He’s now doing a career as a jiu-jitsu fighter. He competed in the world masters a few weeks ago in Las Vegas. He was very close to getting gold. He’s got tons of energy left, maybe not in professional MMA, because he’s already done a lot for the sport, but we’ll continue to see him.”
Moreno (21-8-2 MMA, 9-5-2 UFC), a former UFC flyweight champion and the second man to hold the 125-pound UFC belt after Johnson’s departure from the promotion, returns to the cage on Nov. 2 after taking a break from the sport.
The Mexican star takes on top contender Amir Albazi (17-1 MMA, 5-0 UFC) in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Moreno looks to snap a two-fight losing skid and get himself back in title contention.