Who’s the first-ever UFC Mexican champ? The answer is: Brandon Moreno. Well, before earning recognition as the best MMA fighter from Mexico, ‘The Assassin Baby’ fought to balance his dream of becoming a combat sports star with family responsibilities. Thankfully, he managed to chase both paths and rise to the absolute top of the UFC.  

After he lost the flyweight championship in 2023 against Alexandre Pantoja, Moreno stayed locked in on reclaiming his lost glory. The Mexican former champ now rides a two-fight winning streak, and at UFC 323, he’ll face the surging Tatsuro Taira at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. With a win on December 06, Moreno moves another step closer to a potential title shot. But before that anticipated clash, here’s a look at his family’s piñata business that helped shape the work ethic driving his MMA greatness. 

Meet Brandon Moreno’s Parents: Alfredo Moreno and Cecilia Carrillo  

Brandon Moreno was born on December 07, 1993, to Alfredo Moreno and Cecilia Carrillo. Living in Tijuana, the Moreno family represented a typical Mexican middle-class household that made piñatas, traditional artifacts primarily created by gluing pieces of newspaper together. Following local customs, these artifacts played a big role in celebrations, and the family’s business eventually grew enough for them to sell piñatas in Los Angeles.

However, even as his parents found success, Brandon never felt drawn to carrying on the family trade. Combat sports pulled him in from the start. He began boxing training at 12, and his parents had enough resources to support it. Still, his mother often worried the sport would distract him, and she wanted Moreno to focus more on his studies.

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“At first, I thought [MMA] was a distraction for him, a hobby. I always wanted him to study, to go to college. It was very important for me that he do it so he could have a good life.” Moreno’s mother, Cecilia, told ESPN.    

Although Brandon Moreno became actively involved in martial arts training, family responsibilities soon started to catch up with him. Understanding that his parents needed help, the Mexican MMA superstar began managing the piñata business and his training on the same day, a demanding routine that quickly became tough to balance.

‘The Assassin Baby’s childhood: Struggling with his parents’ piñata business  

Now, for a guy like Brandon Moreno, who trained to punch opponents hard, handling the delicate craft of piñata making felt like a tough assignment. But with his never-give-up attitude, ‘The Assassin Baby’ kept pushing through.

As per the ESPN report, Moreno woke up early every morning to squeeze in two hours of relentless martial arts training before dedicating six hours to making paper piñatas for his family’s business. After that, he hit the gym again at night, sweating through more training, then repeating the cycle the next day. Still, while Moreno showed real talent in martial arts, that same dexterity didn’t always translate to crafting piñatas. 

“He’d end up running Brandon out of the room, because he couldn’t do it,” Moreno’s mother added in an ESPN interview, which was also confirmed by Moreno.  “I never had the right ability to make the piñatas, but it was a fun part of my life. I’m a better fighter than a piñata maker.” He further revealed. 

However, as the former flyweight champ struggled to craft perfect Mexican cultural artifacts, he realized one important thing: he had a supportive family working hard to provide for him and his dreams. With that understanding, Moreno never complained about his life or the challenges he faced.

“Every day I saw, always, how my parents worked so hard to give us the best opportunities and the best life possible,” Moreno said.  

So, as ‘The Assassin Baby’ stayed grateful for parents who fully supported his dreams, he eventually started making money by fighting in local MMA promotions across South America. Once he began earning on his own, he realized it was time to push his MMA career even further. And surprisingly, all those hours spent learning how to make piñatas, while pursuing MMA, turned into a pretty handy skill later in life. 

In 2018, Moreno was released by the UFC after three straight canceled fights with Ray Borg and a tough loss to Alexandre Pantoja. Around the same time, his newborn daughter needed surgery, adding even more pressure to an already difficult period. With his MMA career deteriorating, the Mexican star returned to making piñatas, which ended up giving him the financial resources he needed to take care of his daughter.  

However, after a brief stint of him winning a title in LFA, Moreno returned to Dana White’s promotion, and everything changed. Reentering the UFC, ‘The Assassin Baby’ went on an incredible streak and ultimately captured the flyweight championship. 

Now that we’ve reached that happy ending, let’s take a look at Brandon Moreno’s cultural and religious background as well. 

Brandon Moreno’s cultural and religious background   

When it comes to religion, the former flyweight champion never explicitly stated that he follows any particular faith. However, before his fight against Amir Albazi, Moreno showed a bit of inclination toward Aztec gods, deities once worshipped by the people of the Aztec Empire during the early 15th and 16th centuries (as per Britannica).

“Let’s go! Gentlemen, for those who don’t know, Quetzalcoatl is the Aztec god of light, of wisdom, fertility too. [Laughs]. I have three daughters. We know what that means…” Moreno said after receiving his customized shorts depicting the deity before the UFC Mexico Fight Night event.

And as Moreno mentioned, Quetzalcoatl is one of the major deities, often associated with wisdom, arts, crafts, and more. So it seems the Mexican star knows his ancient culture well.

That said, as Brandon Moreno gets ready to fight Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323, what do you think about his personal journey? Let us know in the comments section below.