The unbeaten fighter will challenge Pedro Taduran for the IBF strawweight title on Saturday at the Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

"It's my lifelong dream to be world champion," Moreno (16-0, 5 KOs) told The Ring. "And doing so against an opponent of Pedro Taduran's caliber makes it even more special.

"It's the opportunity I've been waiting for my whole career, and I'm really fired up."

The 33-year-old contender knows how good the defending champion is but isn't overawed by the size of the task ahead.

"He's a great champion and has proved that throughout his career," he said. "He's a very aggressive boxer who's always on the attack and forces you to be at 100 percent every second. I respect him, but I'm not afraid of him."

However, Moreno believes his own intelligence will allow him to emerge victorious.

"I know it's going to be a very tough night but he's never faced anyone like me before," he said. "My boxing, movement and ability to read the fight ... I don't think he'll be able to figure me out. That's where the key will lie."

Moreno first stepped foot inside a boxing gym when he was 17, accompanying his older brother Angel. The latter would later unsuccessfully challenge Charlie Edwards (UD12) for the WBC flyweight crown in March 2019.

From there things grew for Moreno, embarking on his own career.

"I always juggled my amateur career with work and studies, so never had as much time to train as I'd have liked," he said. "Even so, it was already clear that I could make a professional career out of this.

"Achieving this dream as a Spaniard is very difficult; we have very few resources compared to other countries, but look at me, just one step away from making it happen."

Often in boxing's lower weight classes, where purses are smaller, fighters must make a living outside the ring. That is not the case for Moreno, who is successful away from the sport.

"In Spain, it's practically impossible to make a living from boxing alone. I'm an entrepreneur; opened boxing gyms in Madrid and luckily, they're doing well. Thanks to that, I can devote myself 100 percent to my sporting career."

With that in mind, Moreno is taking aim at Taduran and becoming a world champion.

"It would mean that everything I've fought for and sacrificed throughout my life has been worth it, a reward for all those years of hard work."

Taduran, The Ring's No. 1 contender at 105 pounds, turned professional at 18 before capturing Filipino national honors.

He made an ambitious attempt at the vastly more experienced Wanheng Menayothin, losing a 12-round decision for the WBC title in August 2018. After beating unheralded opposition four months later, he climbed off the canvas to stop previously unbeaten compatriot Samuel Salva after four completed rounds, winning the vacant IBF crown.

The heavy-handed 29-year-old made one defense before being outpointed to lose the title, then failing in attempts at immediate revenge during a two-fight series with Rene Mark Cuarto.

The Filipino scored a ninth-round stoppage of Ginjiro Shigeoka to reclaim the IBF strap, edging a 12-round split decision in their May 2025 rematch. The Japanese fighter suffered a brain bleed and remained in hospital for almost a year, before being discharged to his family in late March.

Taduran has since made two more title defenses, most recently a seventh-round stoppage of Gustavo Perez on April 3 during an impressive U.S. debut.

Stylistically Moreno figures to be a difficult defense for Taduran, playing matador to his bull. This marks a big step up for the challenger and it remains to be seen if he can be busy enough to fend off the defending champion.