Brandon Moreno

Despite adding another win to his already strong résumé, the former champion still finds himself in the same spot he was back in November when he defeated Amir Albazi. Yes, he’s a fan favourite from a market the UFC has shown a clear interest in, but the same factors that played against him are still present. It’s not just that he has multiple losses to the current champion, he has a recent loss to Brandon Royval. And Royval himself has refused to go away as a contender despite also having multiple losses to Alexandre Pantoja.

So until one of Pantoja or Royval loses, Moreno cannot confidently say that he’s next in line for a title shot. As for Royval, he finds himself in the very same boat as “The Assassin Baby.” As Pantoja appears set to defend his title against one of Kai Kara-France or Manel Kape next, the remedy to both Brandons’ situations seems obvious: book them against each other.

They are 1-1 and are both in limbo, waiting for “The Cannibal” to slip on a banana peel. Their last fight was a closely contested split decision. Run a trilogy and then the winner’s case will be undeniable.

Moreno’s next fight: Brandon Royval

Manuel Torres

Only four days removed from his 30^th birthday, Torres put on his most impressive performance to date. Win or lose, all four of his UFC fights had ended in the opening frame, and this one was no exception. Only this time, he did it against a well-known, high-quality opponent in Drew Dober in the UFC Mexico City co-main event.

As impressive and important as this bounce back was for Torres, I don’t think it’s enough to completely erase the bad taste from his performance in the Sphere. For that reason, I wouldn’t shoot him up the ranks just yet. Diego Ferreira is another wily veteran who has been historically durable and difficult to look good against. If Torres can do Ferreira like he just did Dober, then we’ll know he’s truly back on track.

Torres’ next fight: Diego Ferreira

Edgar Chairez

This was an emotional win for Chairez as he dedicated this victory to his late grandfather. He made quick work of C.J. Vergara, dropping and submitting him in just two and a half minutes.

Just about any name at flyweight would make sense for Chairez, but why not re-book a fight against another standout from this very card? Chairez was initially booked against Kevin Borjas in the Sphere before the Peruvian pulled out and Joshua Van stepped in. Both Chairez and Borjas impressed on Saturday, so re-booking this matchup makes all the sense in the world at this time.

Chairez’s next fight: Kevin Borjas

Raul Rosas Jr.

The youngest fighter in the promotion earned his fourth consecutive win and moved to 5-1 since signing with the UFC at just 17 years of age (his first fight coming shortly after his 18th birthday). This was probably his most mature performance yet against the best opponent he has faced. Vince Morales is a veteran who hasn’t been submitted since 2018 and has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Rosas Jr. was able to outwrestle and out-grapple him, fending off Morales’ own submissions attempts in the process.

Despite this being his most solid win, it’s important to not get ahead of ourselves and still keep in mind that Rosas Jr. is only 20. There’s no real reason to push him up the ranks in the hopes that he could break the record for youngest champion in the promotion’s history. Yes, this was an encouraging performance for many reasons, but he’s still way behind the best that the division has to offer.

For those reasons, I still think we should aim to give him stylistically favourable matchups just so he can keep accruing experience. AJ Cunningham just lost his most recent fights by giving up five takedowns to SuYoung You. On paper, you would think a grappler of Rosas Jr.’s pedigree should be able to replicate this gameplan and earn himself another UFC win.

Rosas Jr.’s next fight: AJ Cunnigham

David Martinez

The 26-year-old impressed on last year’s Contender Series by how mature his game already is. He’s one of the most advanced fighters in his mid-20s that the promotion currently has under contract. Getting a 1^st-round KO in front of his home crowd at UFC Mexico City was a great way to start his UFC career. I think Martinez can handle higher competition than Saimon Oliveira (0-3 in the UFC), but we shouldn’t throw him to the wolves just yet.

Toshiomi Kazama has proved to be a very beatable opponent, but he’d be an upgrade on Oliveira simply based on the fact that he has a UFC win under his belt. This is the type of slight increase in level of competition that I think we should be expecting for a prospect like Martinez.

Martinez’s next fight: Toshiomi Kazama

Kevin Borjas

The Peruvian was fighting with his back against the wall. He was 0-2 in the promotion ahead of UFC Mexico City and was now booked as a set up fight for the crowd favourite “Lazy Boy” Rodriguez. But Borjas came out and looked better than ever, earning a unanimous decision victory.

As mentioned, his fight with Edgar Chairez should simply be re-booked. With both coming off impressive victories, the fight makes even more sense now than it did back in September.

Borjas’ next fight: Edgar Chairez

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In the co-main event, Drew Dober was stopped by Manuel Torres. And in the main event, former UFC flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno, pulled off a well-fought unanimous decision. It was nearly a clean sweep for Mexican fighters on the main card with the only loser being Ronaldo Rodriguez. Ronaldo also has the pleasure of being the only fighter on this edition of losers that isn’t on a three-fight losing streak.

Steve Erceg

Steve Erceg lost a unanimous decision to Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC Mexico City on Saturday.  Erceg has now lost three fights in a row stemming from his unsuccessful title shot against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301 last year. Tough break for Erceg as he started his UFC career off red hot, winning three fights in about nine months.

Erceg entered the bout as the #8 ranked flyweight while his opponent entered ranked at #2. Steve needs to slow down a bit. The UFC through him right into the deep end after his three-fight win streak. Well Erceg sank. It’s time to take a step back and give him a lot more manageable of a fight.

Erceg should fight Tim Elliot in his next fight. Elliot is a tenured fighter that is currently ranked at #11 in the UFC’s flyweight division. Tim might be 38 years old, but he has won three of his last four fights. Elliot was last in action in December of 2023 with his performance bonus winning submission of Sumudaerji. Elliot was matched up with Tatsuro Taira last May but withdrew from that bout. This would be a great scrap as Tim is such an awkward fighter that always pushes the pace.

Erceg’s next fight: Tim Elliot 

Drew Dober

Manuel Torres stopped Drew Dober in the opening round of the co main event Saturday. Dober is now on a three-fight losing skid. Drew has lost four of his last five fights and been stopped in three of those. It’s been a rough 13 months for Dober who took to X (formerly known as Twitter) after the bout, to hint that he could potentially be taking a little bit of time off until his next fight.

With that in mind, Dober’s next fight can’t be a rapidly ascending prospect. A fight against Claudio Puelles could make sense. The 28-year-old is 5-3 with the UFC but is on a two-fight losing streak. The submission specialist was finished by Dan Hooker in 2022 and dropped a split decision to Fares Ziam in his most recent bout last February. Claudio has three kneebar submission finishes in his UFC career thus far. Dober has faced serious striking threats in his most recent bouts so this could be a welcome change of pace.

Dober’s next fight: Claudio Puelles

CJ Vergara

Edgar Chairez submitted CJ Vergara in the first round of their bout with a rear naked choke. With the loss, Vergara has now lost three fights in a row. And Vergara has now been finished twice in a row in the first round.

Obviously in a weight class like flyweight (where ranked fighters have been cut), Vergara is in real danger of being released. Vergara needs a good showing in his next bout.

CJ should fight the loser of Ode Osbourne vs Luis Gurule. That fight is going down on April 5th, so the timing is perfect. Luis Gurule is a 10-0, 31-year-old, 2024 Contender Series alumni. The LFA and Fury FC veteran earned a contract from a split decision victory over Nick Piccininni last year. Ode Osbourne is 4-6 with the UFC since coming off the Contender Series in 2019. Ode has lost his last three fights and was stopped in two of them. Depending on how that fight goes, the loser could be in a very similar position as Vergara. If Ode loses this has the potential to be a wild striking battle but either way the bout would be a high stakes scrap.

Vergara’s next fight: Loser of Ode Osbourne vs Luis Gurule

Vince Morales

The UFC’s golden boy, Raul Rosas Jr. snagged a unanimous decision victory opposite of Vince Morales on Saturday at UFC Mexico City. Morales is now riding a three-fight losing streak in his second stint with the UFC. Morales was with the UFC between 2018 and 2022 going 3-5 in his first stint with the promotion.

The 2018 Contender Series alum is now 3-8 with the UFC. Morales is in danger of losing his roster spot. It makes sense for him to take on another guy in a similar position. Vince should fight Saimon Oliveira in his next fight. Oliveira also fought on UFC Mexico City and is in a very similar position to Morales.  Stylistically, Morales has threats while both standing and on the ground. Hes a fighter that has fought for a few flagship promotions and taken on some high-level competition. A scrap vs Saimon would be entertaining as the loser would likely be sent packing.

Morales’s next fight: Saimon Oliveira

Saimon Oliveira

Saimon Oliveira was stopped in the opening round of his bout against UFC debutant, David Martinez, on the main card of UFC Mexico City. With the loss, Saimon is now 0-3 with the UFC. It’s worth noting the 2021 Contender Series alum has faced some solid competition during his tenure, his other losses coming to Tony Gravely and Daniel Marcos. Despite this fact, Oliveria is undoubtedly on the short list to be cut.

Oliveira’s next fight should be against Vince Morales. Vince fought in the fight following Oliveira’s on Saturday. Oliveira hasn’t shown it yet in the UFC, but he looks to be something of a submission specialist. This fact could make for a fun and unpredictable fight against Vergara. One thing is for sure, this fight would be action packed as two Contender Series alum fight for their spot on the UFC roster.

Oliveira’s next fight: Vince Morales

Ronaldo Rodriguez

Ronaldo Rodriguez lost a unanimous decision to Kevin Borjas to open the main card of UFC Mexico City Saturday. “Lazy Boy” missed weight ahead of what was his first loss in seven fights. Rodriguez had not lost since his 2020 appearance on the Contender Series to Jerome Rivera. Ronaldo is now 2-1 with the UFC.

What a momentum destroying appearance for Ronaldo. Between the loss, the weight miss and the fact that he was a favorite, it was definitely his worst fight with the promotion. Rodriguez has a couple different plays here: He could take on another prospect like Rei Tsuruya (who also suffered his first loss with the promotion recently). Or he could take a step back a face a guy like Daneil Barez. Daniel is a 2021 Contender Series alum who is 1-2 in his UFC career. Barez last fought earlier this month, when Andre Lima submitted him in the final round of their bout.

High risk, high reward, fighting a guy like Rei as he’s very skilled but still doesn’t have much of a name within the promotion. Rei’s most recent fight was also earlier this month when he lost a unanimous decision to Joshua Van (who is now ranked at #14 at FW). For that reason, a fight against Daniel Barez makes the most sense at this point for Rodriguez. A win, especially in an impressive fashion would get “Lazy Boy” right back on track.

Rodriguez’s next fight: Daniel Barez

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It was four other fighters, three of them Mexican, who took home bonus money when the dust had cleared, however. The four Performance bonuses were handed out in lieu on a Fight of the Night, despite a couple of deserving options in Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri, and Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas (though Rodriguez missing weight for the fight might have soured that option just a little).

Among those taking home an extra $50,000 U.S. on Saturday were two debuting fighters: bantamweight David Martinez, who scored a big main-card TKO finish of Saimon Oliveira, and middleweight Ateba Gautier. A DWCS alum, like Martinez, Gautier knocked out Jose Daniel Medina, setting up the finish with a knee.

Also claiming Performance of the Night bonuses at UFC Mexico City were Manuel Torres and Edgar Chairez. After Joe Pyfer’s fight with Kelvin Gasteum was pulled from the card, Chairez found his fight against CJ Vergara promoted to the main card. After putting away Vergara with a face crank, Chairez was overwhelmed with emotion, having earned his second win inside the octagon, and second in Mexico City for the promotion.

Torres won big in the UFC Mexico City co-main event, knocking down lightweight staple Drew Dober and battering him with hammer fists under the ref finally stepped in.

All four bonuses winners at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City take home an additional $50,000 on top of their purse, outfitting pay, etc.

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Moreno had come up short in Mexico City three times previously, posting an 0-2-1 record (the draw coming against Askar Askarov back in 2019). Australia’s Erceg, meanwhile, was looking to snap a two-fight skid that included his title fight loss against flyweight champ Alexandre Pantoja.

Early in the UFC Mexico City main event, Moreno worked his jab, while looking to find a home for his left hook, around the guard of Erceg. Australia’s Erceg had the advantage in height and reach, but the speedier Moreno connected with an uppercut that sent “Astro Boy” reeling.

Moreno would test Erceg’s chin again late in the frame, landing a left hand that connected clean. Erceg stayed upright, but getting tagged was clearly not in his game plan. No wrestling to be found in the first five minutes, which played out on the feet, with Moreno mixing in body shots and leg kicks.

Brandon Moreno came out firing again in round two, loading up a bit and looking a step or two ahead of Erceg, who was working his jab. Erceg would fire a knee when Moreno closed the distance, perhaps to keep “The Assassin Baby” wary when considering a takedown. As the round wore on, Moreno began mixing in kicks with his combos, hammering Erceg top and bottom, side to side. Through two rounds, it was smooth sailing from former two-time flyweight champ Moreno, while Erceg needed to rethink his approach.

Steve Erceg did a slightly better job in the third, at least defensively, making Moreno miss more than he had in the opening two rounds. Defense not being a way to win fights, however, Erceg needed more than that. Yet Moreno mixed things up, flashing stance switches, and the Mexican showed no signs of slowing. Erceg landed a low kick or two, and did connect with a few shots across several combinations. A closer round to be sure, but no sign that Moreno was in any real danger.

Things began to heat up in round four, with a couple of close exchanges keeping Erceg in the fight. Moreno still had the edge in speed, and would burst forward at times, swinging (but often missing). Erceg, however, managed to connect a little more, and graze Moreno with a kick towards the midway mark. At the end of the round, Moreno would get Erceg on his back, and finish things firing a massive ground strike.

Between rounds, Erceg’s corner told him that he needed to hurt the champ. More accurately, he probably needed a finish. But after a couple of close rounds in the third and fourth, Moreno’s corner told him the same.

Round five had the crowd firmly behind Moreno, who continued to have the speed advantage. He let his hands fly near the midway mark, mixing in kicks (sometimes feinting them). Left and rights landed for Moreno before Erceg regrouped. Moreno then doubled up on his jab as the round wore on. Erceg flashed a front kick, but fell short. Moreno dumped Erceg off a head kick inside the final minute, then looked to get into guard. Instead, Moreon wound up in side control, staying there until the final horn, they screaming in sheer triumph following what appeared to be a decision win for the Mexican flyweight.

Official Result: Brandon Moreno def. Steve Erceg by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

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Sousa would score an early knockdown off a 1-2 that halted the fight almost as quickly as it began, though Dober was apparently unaware of it. When Dober went down, he instinctively went after a leg, grabbing on for dear life. Easily a dozen or so hammer fists followed from Torres, who remained standing. Ref Mike Beltran gave Dober a good long while to do something, anything, to stay in the fight. Drew Dober, however, wasn’t moving, just hanging on to the leg.

When Beltran moved to halt the action, however, Dober popped up to his feet, assumed a fighting stance, then appeared bewildered at the stoppage. Yet he was clearly rocked, wobbly on his feet, and still seemed confused while speaking with the cageside physician. Unquestionably a good stoppage, arguably a little late even.

“I wouldn’t be able to do this without all of you,” Torres exclaimed in his post fight interview, thanking his coaches, team and family. Torres went on to call for a post-fight bonus, asking Dana White to open up the pocket book following the biggest win of the Mexican fighter’s career.

Official Result: Manuel Torres def. Drew Dober by TKO (punches), Round 1, 1:45

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With Pyfer’s bout against Kelvin Gastelum scratched; Chairez and Vergara had the opportunity to return to the win column in front of an even larger audience.

One fighter took advantage of that, without question.

The first couple minutes were spent with Chairez wisely fighting behind his jab, with Vergara kicking the lead leg. Chairez then feinted a level change to hide a left hook that connected cleanly on Vergara’s chin and dropped him. Chairez carefully stalked his prey and dropped him again. With Vergara hurt, Chairez immediately got on his back and sunk in the rear-naked choke that forced the tap from Vergara.

After the fight, Edgar Chairez appeared overwhelmed with emotion, falling to his knees and being comforted by his coach. The Mexican had previously impressed in his losses to Tatsuro Taira and Joshua Van, but this was by far his best performance thus far. With the victory, Chairez is now 2-2 under the UFC banner, along with a No Contest against Daniel Lacerda in the pair’s first fight (Chairez would win the rematch).

Official Result: Edgar Chairez def. C.J. Vergara by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 1, 2:30

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The bantamweight fight was a huge part of Saturday’s main card at the Arena CDMX, with fans booing and jeering Morales as he walked out and roaring in approval for Rosas Jr.’s arrival.

The start of the fight was very much a Raul Rosas Jr. start, as he came out strong and landed a big takedown early, slamming Morales to the canvas. Rosas punching his way in, setting up the takedown with his striking, showed a more polished blend of techniques than the youngster had demonstrated previously.

On the ground, Rosas was methodical, eventually taking the back, and staying all over Morales. Try as he might, Morales could not escape out or power back to his feet. However at the end of the round, Morales was able to reverse, briefly getting on top. A late submission attempt by Morales was the bulk of the offense he was able to show in a round that quite clearly went to Rosas Jr.

Rosas Jr had the fight back down in the top half of round two, again controlling Morales from the back. Once again showing considerable patience, he worked doggedly to improve position. When he did attempt to mount the back, Raul was a little too high up, but adjusted, sliding back down while maintaining the position, clamping down on Morales’ left leg.

At the end of 10 minutes, it was almost certainly 20-18 in favor of Raul Rosas Jr., leaving Vince Morales in need of a finish.

Early in the third, the fight went to the ground again, but this time, Vince Morales was able to lock up an Anaconda choke. The choke got tighter, and Rosas looked to be in real trouble. Perhaps seconds away from catastrophe, he found just enough space to move, with Morales unable to hold onto the choke. Freed, Rosas went back to work, though Morales would show a little more creativity off his back in the third, rolling into a leg lock attempt. Still, short of a finish, the fight was out of reach for Morales.

Raul Rosas Jr., however, gave Morales one more opening for a Peruvian necktie. Morales had it in, and Rosas was stuck. Not stuck was the clock, however, and Rosas knew it. Time ran out, and Rosas Jr. stood up and celebrated what would almost certainly be a decision win for him.

Official Result: Raul Rosas Jr. def. Vince Morales by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

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The bantamweight fight was the first in over two years for the returning Oliveira, leaving him at something of a disadvantage and a clear underdog in the fight.

Round one began with Martínez taking the center of the cage, using hard feints to dictate the pace. He relied heavily on kicks and lateral movement early, making it difficult for Oliveira to find his range. Desperate to close the distance, Oliveira rushed in without setups, allowing Martínez to clinch and break away with ease.

With less than a minute remaining, Martínez landed a right hand that rocked Oliveira but chose not to pursue immediately. Moments later, he capitalized on an opening, slipping back to land a crisp right-hand counter followed by a devastating knee that sent Oliveira crashing to the canvas. Martínez sealed the victory with ground-and-pound, rendering the Brazilian unconscious.

Now having joined sister “Super Mely” Melissa Martinez in the UFC, things are most certainly looking up for David Martinez moving forward. The pair are a rare brother-sister duo to compete inside the octagon.

Official Result: David Martínez def. Saimon Oliveira by TKO (Knee and GNP), Round 1, 4:38

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The fight kicked off the night’s slightly altered main card, which had suffered a hit when illness forced Joe Pyfer to withdraw from a fight with Kelvin Gastelum.

With massive crowd support on his side, Rodriguez started pressing the action throwing a wheel kick as Borjas retreated. Rodriguez looked extremely explosive early landing a kick to the body before Borjas landed a flush right hand that send Rodriguez tumbling backward. A successful backflip by Rodriguez from the floor landed him back on his feet. Borjas started to open up with his boxing after his big right hand and kept finding a home for the punch over the top. With a minute third left in the first round, Borjas landed a straight right that scored him another knockdown. Rodriguez attempted a takedown against the cage but almost ate a flying knee on the entry. Securing a takedown against the fence was not enough to win Rodriguez the round, after getting dropped twice.

To start the second Rodriguez threw a head kick that missed, as Borjas circled away. Rodriguez attempted a takedown but was unsuccessful, eating a right hand moments after. The chin of Rodriguez was on full display during this one as Borjas repeatedly hurt the Mexican prospect with his slick boxing. It seemed as Rodriguez path to victory was taking the fight down, but he was unable to get his opponent to the floor through the first four minutes of the round. Some creative kicking techniques from Rodriguez threatened Borjas, but didn’t land significantly. Through ten minutes Borjas was landing the more damaging blows and successfully defended against four of Rodriguez five takedowns.

Ronalado pressed the action to start the third and landed a left hook. Knowing he needed a finish, Rodriguez marched forward but was repeatedly getting caught by the straight punches of Borjas. this was the most competitive round of the contest, with both fighters having landed 21 significant strikes through three and a half minutes. With a minute left Borjas landed another straight right that snapped back the head of his opponent. Borjas pointed to the ground, signaling for the two to stand and trade. Both fighters slugged it out until the final bell, in a fight that seemed to be in favor of Borjas. After three rounds the judges scored the contest a unanimous decision victory for Kevin Borjas.

This was one of the biggest wins of Borjas career, earning a victory in enemy territory against a prospect with a significant amount of hype. Borjas showed respect to the Mexico City crowd and his opponent Ronaldo Rodriguez in his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier. With the upset snapping a two fight losing streak, Borjas got a much needed win in his UFC career.

Official Result: Kevin Borjas def. Ronaldo Rodriguez by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

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The fight served as the preliminary card’s featured prelim, and found Gautier entering off a knockout victory on Dana White’s Contender Series last September.

The fight started with a power jab and outside leg kick from Gautier. Medina was unfazed but did eat an uppercut soon after. Medina was composed but lacked urgency early on. Gautier was also composed but sill throwing and landing with impact. Medina was fully okay with taking some big shots from Gautier, possibly hoping he’d tire out. Gautier was doing a really good job of leading with the left hand, whether it was with the jab or hook. He started to throw behind the left, finding a home with the right. Gautier hurt Medina with a left hand. Medina called him on, and Gautier obliged. He swarmed with his hands, and it was a knee that put Medina down, leading to the ref stopping it.

After the fight, Ateba Gautier told UFC analyst Daniel Cormier that he had the ability to knock anybody out. As to his success, “I always listen to my coaches,” said Gautier. “That’s the secret.”

Official Result: Ateba Gautier def. Jose Daniel Medina by KO (knee), Round 1, 3:32

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