Brandon Moreno believes his recent MMA hiatus has left him feeling motivated ahead of his return at UFC Edmonton.

For the longest time, Brandon Moreno was one of the top dogs at flyweight alongside Deiveson Figueiredo. Now, however, following two losses on the bounce, the Mexican sensation is in need of a big win to get back in the title picture. At UFC Edmonton later this year, he’ll try to get that win when he battles Amir Albazi.

RELATED: Former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno announces he’s stepping away from MMA for the foreseeable future

Many, however, are surprised to see him return so soon. After his loss to Brandon Royval in February, he made it seem as if he was going to step away from the sport for quite some time. In the end, it’ll be less than a year between his last fight and his return.

In a recent interview, Moreno opened up on his journey to get back to this point and what’s next for him.

Moreno is ready to return

“Right now, I find myself in a really good moment,” Moreno said. “The time I was away from MMA really helped me to clear my head and be with my family without thinking about fighting.

“Even though I was only doing one or two fights a year, I would fight, and immediately I would already be asked when my next fight would be and against who. When you have an opponent and date set, you could still be two, four months away, but you have that fighting chip inside you, and you’re not 100 percent relaxed. I took this time to breathe and just spend time with my daughter and wife and just enjoy life.”

“As an athlete you’re also accustomed to train every day, the competition, so there is a point when you’re like, ‘Man, I want to return,’ but you have to fight yourself so you can relax and wind down,” Moreno said. “I feel very motivated to fight at this moment.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Are you excited to see him come back? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!