Brandon Moreno willing to be backup for UFC 323 flyweight title fight

The UFC can count on Brandon Moreno to fight for the UFC flyweight title this weekend, should he be needed as a late-notice backup.

Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) competes this Saturday on the main card of UFC 323, where the UFC flyweight title will be contested in the co-main event. The Mexican star takes on Japan's Tatsuro Taira in the fight before Alexandre Pantoja's title defense against Joshua Van. UFC 323 (pay-per-view, ESPN2/FX/Disney+, ESPN+) takes place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Injuries, weight misses and other things have gotten in the way of title bouts hours before they happen. Should any issue arise with Pantoja or Van, Moreno has no problem being a backup, which is why he plans on making championship weight at Friday's official weigh-ins.

"For the belt, I'll do anything," Moreno told Hablemos MMA in Spanish. "It wouldn't be the best situation for it to be on short notice. It wouldn't be ideal for me, but if they tell me something like that, I'll be ready. I think so. But to be honest, both Pantoja and Van are fighters who make weight. I don't remember them ever having issues on the scale, so I'm just focused on Tatsuro."

Moreno is coming off unanimous decision wins over top contenders Amir Albazi and Steve Erceg in UFC main events. He's hoping to beat Taira and secure a title shot with a three-fight winning streak.

"The Assassin Baby" expects Pantoja to be the man he faces next, but he doesn't rule out the idea of Van pulling off the upset this weekend.

"I think it's difficult to pick against Pantoja," Moreno said. "I think it's his fight to win, just because everything he's done, the legacy he's forming. I did say the other day that Van has a superpower, which is youth. He doesn't think stuff through, he goes in there with everything, he has all the confidence in the world, and he's enjoying fighting and improving his life situation. I heard he bought a home for his mom, so he's living the dream. Believe me, that's a superpower. I thought Royval was going to beat him, and it wasn't like that. So I'm very intrigued for this fight."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 323: Brandon Moreno willing to be backup for flyweight title fight