Dana White admits he was surprised Brandon Moreno beat Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263: “I was wrong”

UFC president Dana White admitted that he was surprised Brandon Moreno beat Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263, further admitting “I was wrong.”

Moreno submitted Figueiredo in the third round with a rear-naked choke to become the new UFC flyweight champion. The two rivals previously met in the main event of UFC 256 last December, and they fought to a majority draw after the referee deducted a point from Figueiredo for a low blow. The rematch at UFC 263, however, proved to be decisive for the challenger as he dethroned the champion by taking him out in the third round by submission. It was an incredible performance by Moreno, and one White didn’t see coming.

Speaking to reporters following UFC 263, White candidly admitted that he was surprised to see Moreno win the fight, and he also mentioned he thought Figueiredo looked “slow.”

“I’ll be brutally honest with you. Going into this fight, I didn’t see how Moreno wins this fight. Figueiredo is a savage, and I thought the second fight was going to be much different than the first. And I was right, but I was wrong. Good for him, incredible performance tonight. Looked like Figueiredo couldn’t get off. He was slow. Moreno made it look easy, man. And he’s the first ever Mexican-born champion for the UFC so good for him,” White said (h/t MMAMania.com).

For Moreno, beating Figueiredo and proving White wrong certainly has to feel really good, especially since he was cut from the UFC a few years ago and had to work his way back to the promotion. But now that he’s back in the UFC, he has proven that he’s the best flyweight in the world, and White won’t be doubting him anymore.

Were you the same as Dana White and were surprised that Brandon Moreno beat Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263?