What is Brandon Moreno's Net Worth?
Brandon Moreno is a Mexican professional mixed martial artist who has a net worth of $1 million. Brandon Moreno competes in the Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Early Life
Moreno was born on December 7, 1993, in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. He was raised in a lower-middle-class family who owned a pinata business. At the age of 12, Moreno decided he would like to lose some weight, so his mother enrolled him in the local Entram Gym, and he started training in mixed martial arts. While he had originally had plans to go to college and then law school to become a lawyer, he realized soon after beginning his training that he wanted to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. Throughout his teenage years, he trained extensively and began competing at the amateur level.
Career
In April of 2011, Moreno made his professional MMA debut in Mexico. In the first two years of his career, he amassed a record of six wins and three losses. In 2014, he debuted in the World Fighting Federation and went on to hold a 5-0 undefeated record. He eventually won the championship in the Flyweight division. Due to this success, he was cast in the Flyweight tournament on the 25th season of "The Ultimate Fighter."
His participation in "The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions" was revealed in July 2016. He was selected as a member of Team Benavidez and faced Alexandre Pantoja in the opening fight, which he lost via decision. While the show was still airing, Morena debuted in the UFC, which is rare. His first fight was against Louis Smolka in October of 2016. He won the fight via submission in the first round and also earned him his first Performance of the Night bonus award.
In his second fight, he faced Ryan Benoit in December in "The Ultimate Fighter: Tournament of Champions Finale." He won the fight via split decision. His next fight was in April of 2017 when he faced Dustin Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 108. He won the fight via submission in the second round and also was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus award.
In August of 2017, Moreno fought Sergio Pettis at UFC Fight Night 114. He lost the fight via unanimous decision. The next day, Moreno tested positive for clenbuterol from an in-competition drug test. However, the USADA determined the presence of the chemical in his system was likely the result of his consuming clenbuterol-contaminated meat in Mexico, and so he was not punished.
(Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
In April of 2018, Moreno was expected to face Ray Borg. However, the fight was canceled after Borg was injured by glass from a bus window that Team SBG smashed. The fight was rescheduled for May, but then Borg withdrew from the bout due to a family emergency as his child had just undergone significant surgery and needed care. He was then replaced by Alexandre Pantoja. Moreno lost the fight against Pantoja by unanimous decision. He was subsequently cut from the UFC in late 2018, which Moreno revealed in a 2019 interview.
Moreno then signed a multi-fight contract with the Legacy Fighting Alliance and made his debut against then Flyweight Champion Maikel Perez at LFA 69 in June of 2019. Moreno won the fight via technical knockout in the fourth round.
Moreno then returned to UFC in September 2019 at UFC Fight Night 159. The bout ended in a split draw. He then won a fight against Kai Kara-France in December by unanimous decision, followed by another win against Jussier Formiga in March 2020. He had a successful 2020 season, which resulted in Moreno fighting Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC Flyweight Championship in December of 2020. The fight was declared a majority draw, and the two rematched in July 2021. Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion after winning the fight. He also earned the Performance of the Night bonus award as he had dominated the striking and grappling exchanges during the bout.
Personal Life
Moreno is married to wife Shirley Moreno, and the couple have been together for over ten years. His wife appears often at Moreno's side during his public appearances and UFC fights. The two have three children together, all daughters. Their first daughter, Maddie, was born in 2014, and their second daughter, Megan, was born in 2019. In 2021, Moreno and his wife welcomed their third daughter, Morgan. The family can be seen in posts on both Moreno's and Shirley's social media accounts.
Moreno actively contributes to the Spanish language mixed martial arts community by hosting and participating in a number of podcasts on the subject in this native language, though he is also fluent in English. He enjoys collecting Legos and is also a fan of Funko Pop.
