Isaac Moreno has been patiently building toward the moment he'll attempt to prove himself to UFC CEO Dana White.
That tryout officially has a date: Sept. 8 at Dana White's Contender Series 91. Moreno (8-0) replaces injured Stefano Paterono and fights LFA standout Reginaldo Junior (10-1) in a welterweight bout at Meta APEX.
Three people with knowledge of the matchup notified MMA Junkie of the booking Friday. An elated Moreno himself weighed in on the sought-after progress marker. Moreno, 28, was preparing for a tough test against former PFL headliner Dilano Taylor (14-5) at Fury FC 125 on Oct. 2. But when the phone rang Wednesday, plans changed.
"I'm built for this," Moreno told MMA Junkie on Friday. "They've known. Everyone knows, man. If they
don't know, they will know. I've been prepping for this moment my entire life. It's another day in the office. I'm going to go in there and do what I do – not what they want me to do. I'm going to go in and get the finish when it comes to me, how it comes to me. I might dissect this guy. I'm going to beat him up and then it's going to come. I never hunt for finishes. They come to me."
For 25 years, Moreno has had his mind set on the UFC. His father and uncle began training him at 3 years old, crafting a team around him, similar to that of many professional boxers. Being the center of operations has paid dividends, Moreno explained.
"My dad, my uncle (are instrumental)," Moreno said. "I started working with coach Richie van Houten. He's Valentina Shevchenko's coach. We started working together. I have my boxing coach, James Payton, out of Legacy Boxing. I have a solid group. When Ilia Topuria said that he goes to a boxing coach for boxing, a kickboxing coach for kickboxing, a jiu-jitsu coach for jiu-jitsu, that's how my dad prepared me for this since I was a kid. Since 3 years old, he's kept me on this path, and he's always said it's my job to mix it all up together. So he never believed in an MMA coach. He always believed in me being the artist and making everything my own.
"... I think that's the way it should be. There shouldn't be a coach that's like a Swiss army knife for everything. It should be an individual specialist in each art. It should be your job as a martial artist to put everything together. Of course having somebody that is well rounded is also an asset. But also going to individual coaches makes a difference."
Moreno is inarguably stepping into the biggest spotlight to date, but he doesn't think Junior will prove to be his toughest tests. He hinted that he thinks Junior's willingness to strike will be his ultimate undoing.
"No, he's not my toughest test," Moreno said. "He's a fighter. Everyone has a puncher's chance in MMA. We're wearing 4-ounce gloves, and we're practically getting hit with bricks. Anything can happen, but I'm calculated in everything I do. I dissect everyone I fight. We know what's going to happen. We know what's going to happen. This guy is a black-belt in jiu-jitsu. He doesn't really like to use his jiu-jitsu. He likes to throw his hands. But I'm better everywhere."
Through eight professional and five amateur bouts, Moreno has yet to experience a loss. He has five finishes as a pro and is coming off back-to-back TKO finishes of UFC alumni Melvin Guillard and Darian Weeks. The time – "Primetime" – is now, declared Moreno.
"They know I'm the star," Moreno said. "It's 'Primetime.' They know. Once I step in there, it's just doing what I do best, man – fighting, picking people apart and getting the finish. ... I'm a big 170 and I fight well. I've never been in a war because I'm smarter than these guys. I'm just strategic. I have the best group of coaches and teammates around me who help me prepare so meticulously for these fights. I can stack up against anybody. Throw me in the top-15. I'm running through."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Undefeated Isaac Moreno ready for short-notice DWCS fight: 'It's primetime'
