THE UFC throws up a pair of five-round flyweight title eliminators from Alberta, Canada on Saturday night, aiming to provide standout challengers for their belts in 2025.

In the main event, former two-time champion Brandon Moreno meets top contender Amir Albazi in the men’s 125lb shootout.

Whilst Erin Blanchfield takes the penultimate step in her women’s title aspirations against another former two-time UFC titlist in Rose Namajunas.

FLY BOYS

Between December 2020 and July 2023, Moreno fought in six consecutive UFC flyweight title fights, winning three, losing two and drawing one.

The Mexican brawled four times with Brazilian nemesis Deiveson Figueiredo, claiming victory with two wins, a draw and a sole defeat.

But his second title reign was short lived after another former foe, Alexandre Pantoja, took away the belt last year.

The 30-year-old then dropped a non-title five-round decision to Brandon Royval in February, and simply has to bounce back this weekend to maintain any dreams of a third coronation.

Iraqi-refugee Albazi started his MMA career in Stockholm after moving from Syria when he was still a boy.

He eventually settled in London for nearly a decade, before moving to Las Vegas a year after signing with the UFC in 2021.

Albazi, 31, has just one defeat in 18 pro fights, to legit former two-time IMMAF (amateur) World Champion turned pro standout Jose ‘Shorty’ Torres.

But he’s won six straight since, punching his ticket into the UFC along the way, and climbed to the top of the flyweight challenger pile thanks to three stoppages in five wins inside the Octagon.

Unlike the rest of the leading lights at 125lb, Albazi is yet to face current champion Pantoja. All he has to do is get past Moreno and he’ll be in pole position come the turn of the year.

FLY GIRLS

Blanchfield, 25, lost for just the second time in 14 pro fights in March, dropping a title eliminator to next challenger Manon Fiorot on points in her first five-round main event.

If she can bounce back against Namajunas the New Jersey grappling prodigy will be back in sight of champion veteran Valentina Shevchenko.

But in Namajunas she faces arguably her toughest test.

‘Thug’ Rose sustained two stints as UFC strawweight champion in her 13-6 career and whilst her first fight at flyweight last year was also a points defeat to Fiorot, she’s won twice since.

Both were also main event 25-minute exchanges, in March and July, taking the 32-year-old’s five-round fight experience tally to nine, one of the highest in the history of women’s MMA.

#1 CONTENDER

Both Albazi and Blanchfield face opponents with the kind of careers they can currently only dream about, but every new challenger only requires an opportunity to stake their own claims.

With two long-standing champions at flyweight looking on, the time is now for both untested challengers to step up and make a statement.

But Moreno and Namajunas are no stepping stones and are used to facing and defeating adversity.

But I’m going to go for a new challenger double, after both coming through the ringer to get their hands raised.

TIP: Albazi and Blanchfield Points Winners

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