In an interesting development, former UFC Flyweight champion Brandon Moreno has decided to leave his gym, Entram. Speaking to Danny Segura, Moreno said that he had to make the decision with a heavy heart. It ends a 16-year relationship between the fighter and the gym.
Brandon Moreno had small stints at Team Elevation and Bang Muay Thai. But he has been a part of Entram gym since 2006. Moreno made his debut in Mixed Martial Arts in 2011, which means he was with the gym for 5 years even before making his debut.
Under the gym, He got into the UFC in 2016. Moreno won 3 back to back fights upon his debut in the promotion. However, successive losses to Sergio Pettis and Alexandre Pantoja made the UFC cut him in 2018. But he made a strong comeback in 2019 and went on a 7 fight unbeaten streak which saw him capture UFC Flyweight Championship.
Moreno and his gym have seen it all from being on the chopping blocks to becoming a UFC champion. Hence it must not have been a very easy decision to make. During his conversation with Danny, Moreno spoke on the issue. He said,
“So I decided to make one of the toughest changes of my life – because all my life I trained at Entram Gym. I still love all my training partners, but it was time for a change.” (h/t via MMA Junkie)
Which gym will Brandon Moreno train in ahead of UFC 277?
Brandon Moreno has been involved in a series of fights since 2020 against Deiveson Figueiredo. Both Moreno and Figueiredo have won one a piece and one was a draw. Although it seemed like they were heading for a fourth showdown in a row, an injury to Figgy made the UFC book an interim fight between Moreno and Kai Kara-France.
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Hence the changing of his long-time gym will prove to be a pivotal decision ahead of the bout, It may give him the opportunity to freshen up his tactics ahead of one of the important fights of his life. So the question becomes which gym will The Assassin Baby choose?
It seems like the 28-year-old has already made up his mind. In the interview, he revealed that he is opting for James Kraus. Moreno stated that he did consider moving to big-name gyms such as AKA (American Kick-Boxing Academy) and ATT (American Top Team). But he ultimately chose Kraus because he felt as if James will be able to provide him with the personal touch that he got in his previous gym.
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James Krause is a UFC welterweight/middleweight fighter. Although he has not retired yet, Krause has been more focused on being a coach lately. He last fought in 2020. The 36-year-old is a part of Glory MMA gym in Missouri and he was last seen cornering Jeff Molina at UFC Vegas 56. However, Brandon Moreno may just be his most high-profile client just yet.