Two-time UFC champion Brandon Moreno defeated No. 3 ranked flyweight Amir Albazi to get back in the win column and resume his journey to the top of the flyweight mountain.

“The Assassin Baby” fired a five-round blast at the Iraqi fighter and his purse reflected it. More or less, at least.

It was the 17-1 fighter’s first main event in what was the toughest fight of his career. And it was a commendable performance. No one expected him to cross Moreno. But the two men fought each other for 5 rounds and despite the defeat, one can hope that the Iraqi fighter will feature much more in the main events.

As for scholarships, Moreno is expected to win a $200,000 scholarship. As for his opponent, Albazi, according to Marca, he will probably receive a salary of $100,000 for his adventure at UFC Edmonton.

This is, again, speculation, as the UFC is notorious for not making fighter pay public, despite obvious and surprisingly negative feedback from fans.

It’s always said that locker room payments are better than the bonuses fighters receive, but those are just rumors and the company’s silence on them only reinforces them. This is concerning, however, because the UFC doesn’t even let its fighters watch fights in the arena after their own fights are over.

So paying for a secret locker room is like someone trying to sell you sand on a beach.

Either way, Moreno doesn’t care. He wants to get into the title race and this helps him get back on track.

Moreno destroys Albazi in unanimous decision victory

Before the fight, the former champion was the clear favorite against +140 underdog Albazi. And scrap turned out to be exactly that.

Firing shots from his lead foot, Moreno peppered the Iraqi with R1 shots while the latter could only circle and return part of that shot. Ring rust from frequent health issues was evident in Albazi as it took him a few rounds to even find his range. Despite this, the 31-year-old took a few horrendous kicks that knocked Moreno down momentarily.

The second round was more eventful than the first. Having the speed advantage, Moreno stunned his opponent with a blistering headbutt, only for Albazi to show his heart and rush in for a takedown moments later.

Even though he put the former champion on the canvas, Moreno immediately returned and continued his assault. By this point, Moreno had clearly established himself as the better fighter, effortlessly passing punches while timing his own.

In the third round, however, Albazi found his footing and landed a short thumping right hook that rocked Moreno. At least that’s what he thought!

Moreno burst in straight after and unleashed some brutal shots and the Iraqi’s right eye seemed to bear the brunt.

The fourth round was more of the same, with Moreno catching his opponent with almost effortless shots while changing levels to deny the Iraqi fighter any opportunities.

In the final melee, the action resumed and “The Assassin Baby” delivered a clubbing punch to Albazi, causing him to flinch after the latter attempted another takedown.

Despite a valiant Albazi still preparing for a dogfight in the final seconds, Moreno’s experience in big fights came in handy as the rest of the fight passed without much change in tone.

Finally, the bells rang and the fighters embraced before Bruce Buffer announced the result – 49-26, 50-45, 50-45 – in favor of Moreno.