Brandon Moreno defeats Joseph Morales by split decision

Brandon Moreno picked up a hard-fought split decision victory over Joseph Morales on September 12, 2026, with the judges ultimately ruling in the Mexican fighter's favor after the bout went the full scheduled distance.

Moreno, nicknamed "The Assassin Baby," enters the result at 23-10-2 and is currently ranked eighth in the UFC flyweight division. The 32-year-old from Mexico, who trains out of Fortis MMA, stands five-foot-seven with a 70-inch reach and fights out of an orthodox stance. He is one of the more active strikers in the division, landing 3.84 significant strikes per minute at 44 percent accuracy, and also mixes in takedown threats at a rate of 1.36 per 15 minutes.

Morales, a 32-year-old American fighter representing Team Alpha Male, falls to 15-2-0 with the loss. He stands five-foot-six with a 69-inch reach and operates out of a switch stance. Morales is notably dangerous on the ground, averaging three submission attempts per 15 minutes — a figure that makes him a constant threat whenever the fight hits the mat. His striking output sits at two significant strikes per minute at 40 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

• Moreno's victory at eighth in the flyweight rankings keeps him in the mix for higher-profile matchups in a competitive 125-pound division.
• The split decision nature of the result suggests Morales pushed Moreno through all three rounds and made the judges work for their scorecards.
• Morales's submission volume versus Moreno's well-rounded output on the feet and on the ground made for a stylistically intriguing contest.
• The result moves Moreno's record to 23-10-2 while snapping Morales's momentum at 15 wins.