Taking on Brazilian Thiago Moises on the Fight Night event’s main card, it remained to be seen how the crowd would react. Probably not all that enthusiastically.

Moises started the fight by using his physicality to set the tone against Gauge Young, finding some success early in the grappling. Young tried to stay active while remaining defensive, but was quickly brought back to the ground through a series of chain takedowns.

The Brazilian grew more dangerous as the round progressed, tying Young up in several vulnerable positions before landing some nasty elbows to close round one.

Round two was much more defensively sound for “Gee Money,” as he denied a number of takedowns from the pressuring Moises. The two began trading in the middle of the octagon, but Young started to lead the dance, directing where the fight was going.

Forced to counterstrike, Moises was accurate, landing a few hooks in range of Young and ending the round well with a clean combination after being denied on the ground once again.

Young’s success continued into the third round, with momentum fully shifted in the American’s favor. Moises attempted a number of takedowns, but ended up on his back, which drew a rain of boos from the Canadian crowd. Young began celebrating in response, but he was in for a surprise when Moises fired back – ruining his chances at a finish bonus and perhaps letting him back into the fight.

The two men threw down as the final round came to a close, and with the fight going to the scorecards, Gauge Young earned his second consecutive victory in the UFC.

Official Result: Gauge Young def. Thiago Moises via Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29)

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Brandon Royval

The situation at the top of the UFC flyweight division is complicated at the moment. Champion Alexandre Pantoja last fought when he beat Brandon Royval dominantly in December and it seems likely his next defense will be at the next UFC Brazil card, UFC 301, which still needs at least one title fight. If Moreno had won he would have been the logical choice, given his close last fight with Pantoja in 2023’s ‘Fight of the Year.’ However, Royval, who is 0-2 vs Pantoja in the last three years, won by split decision.

Potential challengers include Amir Albazi, Kyoji Horiguchi, and the winner of Alex Perez vs Muhammad Mokaev. Another top contender, Manel Kape, was just rebooked with Matheus Nicolau for the week before UFC 301. Of the mentioned options, Perez or Mokaev are the most logical choices. Neither is quite deserving of a title shot with one more win, although one could argue that no flyweights are worthy at the moment, and one of them vs Royval is a logical way to determine the next top contender. The timelines match up, too.

Royval’s Next Fight: Winner of Mokaev/Perez

Brian Ortega

Brian Ortega pulled off the improbable when he came back to avenge his injury loss to Yair Rodriguez in his last fight, a year and a half ago. The problem is that the next featherweight challenger is not clear either. Volkanovski, Holloway, Ortega, and Evloev are all options. Ortega’s recent record and inactivity leave a lot to be desired for a challenger, so he probably needs one more win against one of those fighters.

Given that he has already fought Holloway and Volkanovski, Evloev makes the most sense, since Movsar also needs another win to earn a title shot. Evloev and Ortega contrast each other in an interesting way; Evloev has never finished a fight and is a methodical, well-rounded fighter while Ortega is a born finisher who relies on big, exciting moments to win fights. Evloev called out Brian right after UFC Mexico City, and that fight is truly what makes the most sense.

Ortega’s Next Fight: Movsar Evloev

Daniel Zellhuber

There is a chance that we witnessed the birth of a star at UFC Mexico City when twenty-four year old prospect Daniel Zellhuber put a beating on Fransisco Prado in the final two rounds of his ‘Fight of the Night’ victory. The young Mexican lightweight was undefeated coming into the UFC and suffered an initial setback with a weird performance in a loss to Trey Ogden, but now is on a three-fight winning streak where he has displayed his penchant for action that he first revealed on the regional scene and Contender Series. With the support of Mexican fans, being bilingual, and having an exciting, action-packed striking style, Zellhuber can ride the wave to a high profile if he keeps winning in entertaining ways.

For his next fight he should be matched up with a lightweight who is just outside of the top-15, to test and prepare him for potentially fighting ranked contenders. He has not really had to deal with a strong wrestling or grappling-based attack thus far in the UFC, so fighters like Thiago Moises, Carlos Diego Ferreira, and Grant Dawson would prepare him accordingly. Moises makes the most sense, as he has long been a gatekeeper whom the UFC tests rising talents against, such as Islam Makhachev, Joel Alvarez, and Benoit St. Denis.

Zellhuber’s Next Fight: Thiago Moises

Yazmin Jauregui

Mexico’s brightest female talent, Yazmin Jauregui, bounced back from her first career defeat with a comprehensive beatdown of the ever-tough Sam Hughes in Mexico City. Jauregui lost to Denise Gomes last year when she was caught cold and knocked out, but her star shines again now. At 3-1 in the UFC, 11-1 overall, and with an exciting, high-level striking skillset, the promotion should play their cards right with this twenty-four year old athlete.

The waters in the strawweight division are not the deepest, but there are some solid, unranked veterans who Jauregui can be tested against, like Gillian Robertson, Jessica Penne, and Polyana Viana. Penne makes the most sense for now; it is too soon to throw Yazmin into the rankings and Jessica’s veteran grappling skillset will present a new challenge for Jauregui to be tested by. A win against a former title challenger like Penne, even if that was long ago, would hold some weight on Jauregui’s resume.

Jauregui’s Next Fight: Jessica Penne

Manuel Torres

‘El Loco’ got a third first round finish to add to his highlight reel in his third UFC outing as he choked out Chris Duncan in front of the Mexican faithful. He is another one that has star potential, given his action-fighting ways and his ‘Knockout of the Year’ contender over Nikolas Motta in 2023. At 28, the time to make a run for the rankings is now, so matching him up against a barely-unranked veteran coming off a win is the logical choice. The two best options for that are Nasrat Haqparast and Jared Gordon.

Both are well-rounded, though Nasrat is more aggressive while Jared is more calm and methodical. While Gordon would be a good test, Haqparast can be in wars and would create a car crash with a forward-moving fighter like Torres. Haqparast is on a three-fight winning streak, just like Manuel, so the winner would be sure of a shot at the top-15 next.

Torres’ Next Fight: Nasrat Haqparast

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The card, brimming with Mexican talent, felt like a launch pad for a big night for the home town (and country) favorites — and it was, though the main and co-main events didn’t quite go according to how those in attendance might have hoped.

In the headliner, Brandon Royval got the better of Brandon Moreno, winning a close split decision over the course of five rounds. In the co-main event, it was Brian Ortega making his return, over a year and a half on from his first fight with Yair Rodriguez, which ended early due to injury.

It was Rodriguez that “T-City” was paired up with again at UFC Mexico City, and things got off on the wrong foot quite literally when Ortega rolled his ankle warming up in the cage. After being rocked early, Ortega went into survival mode — but in the third round, stormed back to secure a submission win that also earned him one of two Performance of the Night bonuses awarded Saturday.

The second went to Manuel Torres, who put away Chris Duncan with a tight rear-naked choke.

Fight of the Night honors at UFC Mexico City went to Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado for a main card battle that went the distance. Mexico’s Zellhuber came away with the decision win.

All four bonus-winning fighters will pocket an extra $50,000 for their efforts, on top of show/win money, outfitting pay etc.

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Their first meeting, in November 2022, had ended in a TKO victory for Moreno, who would go on to claim flyweight gold. Notably, however, both men entered Saturday’s headliner off losses to current champ Alexandre Pantoja.

An early kick 30 seconds or so in, from Royval, appeared to have Moreno stumbling, more from losing his footing than any impact. Royval would continue to go to the body kick, however, keeping ex-champ Moreno on the outside.

Most of the round would play out with Brandon Royval on the attack, pressing forward, and Moreno circling along the fence. That was enough of a concern for Brandon Moreno’s corner to tell him to get off the cage between rounds. The pair had a little flurry following an exchange in the clinch towards the end of the frame, and headed to round two.

The second round, however, opened with Moreno once again with his back to the fence. That didn’t last long however as he came forward, fired a low kick, then came over the top with a right hand that cracked Royval. For his part, Royval pumped his jab, hitting mostly air, and went back to his body kick. As the round progressed, Moreno would hold center and get a little more scrappy; at rounds end, the Mexican landed a late takedown for good measure, but had to fend off some Royval submission attempts.

Round three saw Moreno dump Royval to the canvas about a minute and a half in, but Royval quickly scrambled to his feet. Moreno went back to circling on the fence, with Royval chasing, firing a kick. One problem, the kick landed a bit low, bringing a halt to the action as Moreno recovered from the glancing blow.

When they did get going again, Moreno found a home for his left hand. Royval went upstairs with his kicks; they’d go back-and-forth for a time, before a club-like Brandon Moreno punch knocked Royval off-balance. Not a knockdown, and Moreno was unable to capitalize.

Coming into round four, the UFC Mexico City main event was still very much anyone’s fight. Royval was showing some solid cardio at altitude, easily hanging with Moreno in hat department. They’d clinch up briefly, and Moreno kicked at the leg of Royval on the break. Moreno was well into the double-digits for leg kicks at that point. Royval then landed with a solid punch, forcing Moreno to turtle up and retreat. That allowed Royval to get the fight down briefly, though he couldn’t sneak in any ground n’ pound. Instead, Moreno made it back up, two minutes still on the clock.

Those two minutes would play out on the feet, with Royval finding success and things very close heading into round five. There, they’d clinch up inside of the first 90 seconds, only for ref Herb Dean to break them up and restart at center. That paved the way for Moreno and Royval to begin throwing down, the fight very much hanging in the balance. Royval’s accuracy was on display, but Moreno still managed to snap the head back with his own counters.

A body lock for Moreno followed, and they went to the fence, with ref Dean quickly warning them to work. A quick break by Dean, and they were back at it at center. Royval ripped the body and head; Moreno fired a left, and an elbow. Another clinch, and Moreno fired knees. They finished with one final, furious exchange ahead of the horn.

A split felt likely, and that’s what arrived with the scorecards; two judges awarded the decision to Brandon Royval, allowing him to avenge his earlier loss to Moreno.

Official Result: Brandon Royval def. Brandon Moreno by split decision (48-47, 46-49, 48-47)

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That second fight arrived on Saturday, in the co-main event of UFC Mexico City, the UFC’s long-awaited return south of the border. And a scary scene was observed before the bout even kicked off, with Brian Ortega appearing to roll his ankle while getting loose in the cage.

Things didn’t start well for “T-City.” After about a minute had gone by, Rodriguez sat down Ortega with a big shot but Ortega was able to regain his composure not long after. A leg kick from Rodriguez took Ortega off his feet, which Rodriguez pounced on with some heavy ground and pound. Rodriguez spent some time shifting around Ortega’s guard trying to find openings for his punishing ground and pound. Brian Ortega managed to get it back standing along the fence and dragged Rodriguez back down to the mat to put himself into a dominant position to close out the first round.

Ortega picked up Rodriguez at the beginning of the second round, where Rodriguez latched into a Guillotine choke, which helped Ortega secure a top position on the ground after he popped his head out of the choke. Ortega proceeded to land some heavy elbows which split open Rodriguez, and spent the rest of the round on top. A very dominant round two for Brian Ortega.

Ortega proceeded to take down Rodriguez quickly in round three, and immediately got into position and locked in a very tight arm triangle choke, and that was all she wrote. Brian Ortega announced his return to the Featherweight division, by submitting the former Interim Champion.

You could really see how much that victory meant to Ortega, who no doubt has had a tough last couple years. Saturday marked his first win since his victory over The Korean Zombie in October of 2020.

Has this performance earned Brian Ortega a shot at the newly crowned Featherweight Champion, Ilia Topuria? That remains to be seen.

Official Result: Brian Ortega def. Yair Rodriguez by submission (Arm Triangle Choke), Round 3, 0:58

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The bout came a little earlier than expected, after promotion officials announced that Raul Rosas Jr. vs Ricky Turcios had dropped off the event at the eleventh hour.

Zellhuber and Prado, twenty-four and twenty-one years old respectively, both lost their undefeated records in their UFC debuts but bounced back afterwards and have bright futures ahead of them. The fans in Mexico got behind their boy Zellhuber, a tall, lanky striker with submissions in his back pocket. Argentina’s Prado, a power hitter who has only ever won by finish, looked to spoil the show for them, but it was not to be, as Zellhuber won comprehensively over fifteen minutes.

Prado pressed forward while Zellhuber tried to stay at a longer range, circling the octagon to avoid being closed down. The pair really got after it, both landing big shots to the head and body, but neither man could gain a big advantage. Zellhuber’s jab and body kicks went up against Prado’s big, looping punches; both found success in a close first round.

The second round started with Zellhuber opening Prado’s nose and then his eye with jabs. Daniel became ascendant as one man got a clear advantage for the first time. However, Francisco was not out of it at all, but he got wilder and sloppier as he ate more damage. Zellhuber ate some return fire, but his mixed arsenal of strikes became telling. His knee to the body when Prado got close was especially effective in the second frame. Prado’s left eye was almost closed entirely by the halfway point.

Though his eye was swollen badly, Prado could just barely see out of it, and the fight continued in round three after the doctor checked on him. He again ate the first big strike of the round, a knee to the collarbone. Franscisco Prado connected with some of his big swings, but for the most part Zellhuber was able to slide just out of range as he popped Prado’s head with the jab in response. Daniel’s head was so elusive that Prado had more success with his body shots when he threw them, but by the third round he was almost exclusively head-hunting. When the ten second clapper sounded Zellhuber pointed at the canvas, indicating a gentleman’s agreement to swing to the bell, and swing they did.

Given the way the last two rounds went, it was no surprise when the judges awarded the victory to the talented young prospect from the very city he was competing in, to the crowd’s evident delight. There is a good chance that MMA fans around the world witnessed the birth of a star that night.

Official Result: Daniel Zellhuber def. Fransisco Prado by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

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Per the broadcast, Rosas had fallen sick earlier in the day, but spent most of the afternoon hoping he’d turn things around and still compete. That was not the case, the the announcement made just as the pair should have been making the walk to the octagon.

Per UFC officials, Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios may be part of next week’s Apex card in Las Vegas, though that development has not been confirmed.

Turcios, winner of The Ultimate Fighter 29 at bantamweight, was seen as a decent step up in competition for Rosas Jr., who became the youngest fighter in UFC history when he won a contract on the Contender Series at 17.

The youngster is now 2-1 in the promotion, and was coming off a victory over Terrance Mitchell last year. A native of Mexico, Saturday would have been the first chance for Rosas Jr. to fight at home.

UFC Mexico City is headlined by Brandon Moreno vs. Brandon Royval 2, while another rematch, between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez, serves as the evening’s co-main event.

Update, 2/25/2024 12:05AM ET: UFC officials have confirmed Rosas vs. Turcios has been booked for the March 4 Apex card

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The strawweight match-up was second in on the Fight Night event’s main card, with Hughes coming off a win over Jaqueline Amorim, and Jauregui hoping to bunce back from a loss to Denise Gomes.

Hughes landed the first notable strike of the fight, a leg kick, early as the pair circled at center, exchanging mostly single strikes until Jauregui popped off a combo. She began to press forward, resulting in a takedown attempt by Hughes — stuffed by Mexico’s Jauregui. Her takedown defense would serve Jauregui well, with her punches and kicks also keeping Hughes at bay.

As if on cue, Hughes then took the fight to the fence, but Jauregui easily slipped away. The rest of the round played out on the feet with Yazmin Jauregui having the edge.

Sam Hughes continued to pursue takedowns in round two, and continued to pay for it. Hughes was chasing a body lock at center, and was peppered with shots on the way in each time. Soon enough, Hughes was leaking blood from her nose, a cut having opened up on the bridge. Jauregui, meanwhile, mixed up her attacks, targeting the body, legs, head, and even throwing in a superman punch for good measure. As in the first round, Jauregui had the edge, though the gritty Hughes refused to back down.

The third frame of Yazmin Jauregui vs. Sam Hughes started with Jauregui flowing, loose, firing her hands and ending a combination with a high kick. Hughes’ corner had advised her between rounds that she might just be down two rounds to none, which was likely. But it was a leg kick by Jauregui taking Hughes off her feet, with time a factor and things just not going the American’s way. That didn’t change in the final minutes of the fight with Jauregui cruising to a decision win.

Official Result: Yazmin Jauregui def. Sam Hughes by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

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Duncan started with a solid right hand that had Torres retreating; Torres fired a high kick that Duncan ducked under, but he came under fire again moments later. Duncan would then ties things up along the fence; Torres reversed, and when they went to the ground it was Manuel Torres taking the back and sliding an arm under the neck.

The body triangle was on and the arm was in tight, and after just a moment or two, Chris Duncan was forced to tap, with the Mexican crowd clearly delighted!

The win gives Torres his sixth straight victory, and third inside the octagon. All six of those finishes have come inside of a round, as has the bulk of Manuel Torres’ professional wins. 14 of them, in fact.

Official Result: Manuel Torres def. Chris Duncan by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 1:46

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Although he has gone 1-4 in his last five fights, three of those losses were among the best fights of their cards and has only lost to talented opposition. Raoni started his UFC career with a five-fight winning streak, so his 6-4 record coming into this fight was more than respectable. His well-rounded abilities took on Quiñonez, a violent striker. The gas tank of Barcelos bore watching at elevation, as it has been a weakness in the past. However, he was able to maintain a high pace in the fight into the third round, even finishing the fight in that final stanza.

Raoni chopped Cristian’s leg, failed a takedown, and then rocked the Mexican with a right hand. Quiñonez clinched up in search of his own takedown attempt. Raoni used a judo throw to create space to escape. After some striking Barcelos shot again and landed a single leg. Quiñonez wrestled up to his feet, though and tried to take the back of Barcelos, who grabbed the fence blatantly twice. Holding the back body-lock, Quiñonez refused to let Raoni escape his grasp until the bell ended the round.

Raoni Barcelos said between rounds that his shoulder was out, but his coaches said they popped it back in. Still, it bore watching the rest of the way. The striking was even for much of the round; Quiñonez danced around the outside while Barcelos looked to track him down with punches and leg kicks. Halfway through the round Cristian landed a massive right hand which rocked Barcelos, however Raoni turned the tables with one of his own. As Quiñonez stoof up, Raoni landed a big knee that Quiñonez though was illegal, but the ref said fight on. Quiñonez recovered and stayed in it, but he got hit to the head more and more thereafter. However, the tables turned once again as Barcelos ate two big shots and the fight began to look more and more like a brawl until the end of the round.

The final round began with all to play for. Barcelos stalked his foe again and landed his right a few times one minute in. Raoni caught a kick and dumped Quiñonez to the mat, getting on top and dropping hammerfists before settling in half-guard. Cristian turned and gave up his back in an attempt to get up, but that was a mistake as the black belt Barcelos instantly snatched up a rear-naked choke and forced Quiñonez to tap.

Amidst boos from the Mexican crowd, Barcelos talked in his post-fight interview about overcoming adversity, perhaps alluding to his shoulder that dislocated mid-fight.

Official Result: Raoni Barcelos def. Cristian Quiñonez by Submission (rear-naked choke) Round 3, 2:04

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