|
Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Mexico
Detailing The Matchups Set To Hit The Octagon This Weekend in Mexico City
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X @spencerkyte
The UFC has been to Mexico City six previous times, and all six times have been memorable.
UFC 180 marked the first appearance of the Octagon at what is now known as Arena CDMX, where Saturday’s fight card will take place, with Fabricio Werdum claiming the interim heavyweight title with a flying knee finish of Mark Hunt in the second round. Seven months later, the Brazilian unified the heavyweight titles by submitting Cain Velasquez.
The following November, Tony Ferguson closed out the show by earning what was at the time, the biggest win of his career — a unanimous decision victory over former champ Rafael Dos Anjos — and nine months after that, future champs Alexa Grasso and Brandon Moreno competed in the final two bouts of the night, with the former besting Randa Markos and the latter falling to Sergio Pettis.
Next up was the event that ended with beers and debris being thrown into the Octagon after the main event between Yair Rodriguez and Jeremy Stephens was halted prematurely due to an accidental eye poke, and last year, the promotion finally returned with a card that saw Mexican fighters do extremely well, right up until the final two fights of the evening.
This weekend, the Octagon is once again back at Arena CDMX and the combatants set to compete are sure to deliver excitement, just as they always do.
Main Event Matchup: Brandon Moreno vs Steve Erceg
Former flyweight champ Brandon Moreno takes on recent divisional title challenger Steve Erceg in what should be a thrilling bout to close out the night in Mexico City.
Moreno has been a part of each of the last three UFC events in his home country, but unfortunately, things haven’t gone well for him in those contests. “The Assassin Baby” is 0-2-1 in those three outings, but enters Saturday’s main event off a very strong performance against Amir Albazi last November in Edmonton that re-affirmed his standing as one of the top talents in the 125-pound ranks.
After opening 2024 by cold cocking Matt Schnell and earning a championship opportunity, Erceg arrives at his 2025 debut on a two-fight slide, having come up short in his bid to claim the title at UFC 301 before getting, well, cold cocked himself by Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 in his hometown of Perth. The mild-mannered Aussie is at his best when working behind his jab and staying fundamentally sound, and it will be interesting to see if he can get back to that here.
Each of these men has something to prove this year, and Saturday is a great opportunity for each to start doing exactly that. Moreno is kind of in championship limbo as long as Alexandre Pantoja is on the throne, while Erceg is just trying to keep from getting swept under by the crush of talent emerging in the division, so expect both to be at their best and that to produce an absolute scorcher on Saturday evening.
Additional Main Card Bouts
Manuel Torres vs Drew Dober
Manuel Torres and Drew Dober clash in a co-main event battle at lightweight that feels destined to produce a post-fight bonus of some kind once the dust settles and the smoke clears.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’21, Torres began his UFC tenure with three straight wins (and three straight bonuses) before running afoul of Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 306 last September. He’s only been to the scorecards once in his career and operates with a “kill or be killed” approach that not only makes him a fan favorite but ensures something violent is going to happen every time he steps into the Octagon.
Now 36 years old, Dober has always gravitated to gnarly matchups and vicious fights, as evident by his bloody scrap with Jean Silva last summer in his adopted hometown of Denver. Though he’s just 1-3 over his last four fights, the Nebraska native has been a fixture in the “Second 15” in the lightweight division for longer than Torres has been in the promotion, and you can be sure he’ll be looking to earn a road win after dropping one at home last time out.
It’d be easy to say you should pencil this one in for Fight of the Night, but that generally goes to bouts that last into the second or third round, or go the distance, and it doesn’t feel like that will happen here. More likely than not, these two will meet in the center, swing with malicious intent, and spill some plasma before one of them gets stopped; sounds perfect if you ask me.
Kelvin Gastelum vs Joe Pyfer
We’ve got ourselves a critical clash in the middleweight division here, as Kelvin Gastelum faces off with Joe Pyfer in the middle of Saturday’s main card.
Gastelum officially moves back up to middleweight, where he’s gone 7-6 with one no contest in 14 UFC appearances at 185 pounds. Last time out, a weight management issue prompted his welterweight bout with Daniel Rodriguez to be moved up a division during fight week, so there is extra pressure on the former Ultimate Fighter winner to have things dialed in and deliver a strong performance here.
Pyfer went 1-1 in 2024, opening his year with a unanimous decision loss to Jack Hermansson in a main event pairing that is sure to stand as a tremendous learning experience for the 28-year-old Philly-based fighter. He followed that up with a rapid knockout win over Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303, earning his fourth win and fourth finish in five starts since landing on the roster.
Can Gastelum reclaim the form that helped him be a title contender in the past or will Pyfer take a big step forward in the middleweight ranks by turning back the impending Hall of Fame inductee?
Raul Rosas Jr. vs Vince Morales
The second of two bantamweight pairings on Saturday’s main card features highly regarded prospect Raul Rosas Jr. making his first UFC appearance in Mexico City in a clash with experienced veteran Vince Morales.
This will be Rosas Jr.’s sixth UFC start since earning his place on the roster back in Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series. He’s won three straight but had his toughest outing to date back in September at UFC 306, going the distance for the first time in the Octagon against Aoriqileng.
Morales earned five wins and four finishes to garner a short notice recall back to the UFC last September. After dropping that bout to Taylor Lapilus in Paris, he returned to action four weeks ago, losing a second straight on the scorecards, this time to debuting DWCS grad Elijah Smith.
There is so much hype surrounding Rosas Jr. and his fights that they are automatically must-see TV. He’s still just 20 years old and continues to display a ton of promise, but he will be in for a tough test against a veteran fighter with his back against the wall in Morales.
David Martinez vs Saimon Oliveira
David Martinez makes his UFC debut on home soil as he welcomes Saimon Oliveira back to the Octagon for the first time in a little over two years.
The 26-year-old Martinez secured his spot alongside his sister Melissa on the UFC roster with a unanimous decision win over Xavier Franklin last season on the Contender Series. He’s won seven straight overall, has strong fundamentals and a varied offensive approach, and will look to join his sister in the win column by turning back Oliveira this weekend.
A split decision win in Season 5 of the annual talent-search series landed Oliveira a place on the bantamweight roster, but since then, the now 33-year-old Brazilian has struggled. After dropping his promotional debut to Tony Gravely, Oliveira was stopped by Daniel Marcos at UFC 283 and has been out of action since.
Can Martinez earn the victory that puts his family in the UFC record books for a second time this weekend or will Oliveira return with a victory, spoiling the Mexican’s promotional debut?
Ronaldo Rodriguez vs Kevin Borjas
Saturday’s main card action gets underway in the flyweight division, with popular rising star Ronaldo Rodriguez facing off against Kevin Borjas.
“Lazy Boy” is a certified sensation in his home country, boasting over two million Instagram followers; a number that keeps growing with each successful trip into the UFC cage. Now 17-2 overall, the 25-year-old has earned back-to-back wins to begin his time on the biggest stage in the sport, and has the markings of the next home-grown Mexican superstar in the 125-pound weight class.
After impressing in Season 7 of Dana White’s Contender Series, Peru’s Borjas was handed a tough schedule to begin his UFC run. He opened with a unanimous decision loss to Joshua Van in a competitive bout at UFC 295 before venturing to Rio de Janeiro last May, where he was stopped by underrated Brazilian Alessandro Costa.
On paper, this looks like a quintessential quality opener as both Rodriguez and Borjas are action-oriented and aiming to take a big step forward in the surging flyweight ranks this weekend. Buckle up and enjoy!
Preliminary Card Pairings
Edgar Chairez vs CJ Vergara
Before the main card kicks off in the flyweight division, the prelims come to a close with a quality scrap between Edgar Chairez and CJ Vergara.
Chairez has gone 1-2 with one no contest in four UFC starts to date, turning in game efforts every time out. A member of the DWCS Class of ’21, Vergara makes his eighth UFC start here, looking to halt a two-fight skid and bring his record inside the Octagon back to level.
Jose Daniel Medina vs Ateba Gautier
Jose Daniel Medina welcomes Ateba Gautier to the Octagon for the first time in this battle of DWCS grads in the middleweight division.
Bolivia’s Medina earned praise for his resilience from UFC CEO Dana White in his 2023 Contender Series loss, then showed that same grit and tenacity in his August loss to Zachary Reese. Cameroon’s Gautier collected an impressive second-round finish and UFC contract last season, moving to 6-1 overall while extending his winning streak to five.
Christian Rodriguez vs Melquizael Costa
Featherweights coming off quality wins earlier in the year square off here as Christian Rodriguez takes on Melquizael Costa.
“CeeRod” continued his “Prospect Killer” ways by bouncing Austin Bashi from the ranks of the unbeaten in January, giving him four UFC wins over undefeated emerging names. Costa took full advantage of an Andre Fili miscue last month in Seattle, clamping onto a guillotine choke to collect his second straight submission win and third victory in his last four fights.
Loopy Godinez vs Julia Polastri
Loopy Godínez fights in her home country for the first time this weekend, facing off with Brazil’s Julia Polastri on Saturday’s prelims.
Currently stationed at No. 11 in the strawweight rankings, Godinez enters on a two-fight slide, having dropped consecutive decisions in bouts with Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern. After losing her promotional debut last June, Polastri got things moving in the right direction last time out with a split decision victory over fellow DWCS grad Cory McKenna.
Rafa Garcia vs Vinc Pichel
Veterans Rafa Garcia and Vinc Pichel lock horns in this lightweight contest early in the weekend’s 13-fight slate.
Garcia competes in Mexico for the first time since signing with the UFC, aiming to rebound after landing on the business end of a second-round stoppage result last time out against Grant Dawson. A member of the TUF 15 cast, the 42-year-old Pichel has dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in his career, and looks to get back to the form that produced wins in seven of his previous eight starts prior to these setbacks.
Jamall Emmers vs Gabriel Miranda
Battle-tested Jamall Emmers takes on Gabriel Miranda in a featherweight contest that is likely to produce fireworks inside Arena CDMX on Saturday.
The 35-year-old Emmers has alternated losses and wins since landing in the UFC, consistently fighting a tough slate, just as he did during his extensive run on the regional circuit. Miranda returns to action looking to bounce back after catching a Morgan Charriere left hook with his chin last September in Paris that dropped him to 1-2 inside the Octagon.
MarQuel Mederos vs Austin Hubbard
Austin Hubbard shares the Octagon with MarQuel Mederos to open the night.
Following an inconsistent run of results in his first UFC tour of duty, it’s been more of the same for Hubbard since landing back on the roster following his time on The Ultimate Fighter, as he enters having split his last two starts. After a little over a year on the sidelines, Mederos finally makes his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon this weekend, looking to extend his winning streak to eight while building on his debut win over Landon Quinones last February.
_________________
So you wanna be a [bleeping] member? => Get access to the community <=
Looking for a seedbox? RuTorrent, qbitTorrent, Deluge and Transmission included in all packages! Unlimited torrents, unlimited transfers!
Perfect for both beginners and professionals. Watch the files directly in your browser without downloading or download to your device, up to you!
Really Fast 1 Gbit seedboxes - Professional support 24/7/365 - Click to learn more
To get a recurring 10% discount on all seedbox packages use the PROMO CODE: mmatorrents
|
UFC Fight Night 255 - Edwards vs. Brady
