MMA News

Tag: UFC Mexico City

  • “Said This Kid Would…” – Lone’er Kavanagh Upsets Brandon Moreno

    “Said This Kid Would…” – Lone’er Kavanagh Upsets Brandon Moreno

    Flyweight division, beware: Lone’er Kavanagh is now in the mix of the flyweight title picture following his upset victory over Brandon Moreno in the main event of UFC Mexico.

    The two looked to get on a quick start at the beginning of the fight, with Kavanagh looking to bring speed and volume in his striking, including his jabs and leg kicks. Moreno reached on a number of his strikes, resulting in Kavanagh tagging him with counterstrikes.

    Kavanagh landed a combination late in the second round that wobbled Moreno. Kavanagh stayed patient but kept pressure, and while Moreno fought back and survived, Kavanagh solidified himself as firmly in control.

    Moreno started to swing with the left hook, attempting to take momentum from a tired Kavanagh. About halfway through the third round, Moreno got a hold of Kavanagh, controlling him throughout the remainder of the round — a strategy that continued in the fourth. Moreno landed small shots inside the clinch, attempting to drain Kavanagh more.

    Lone’er Kavanagh Gets Decision Over Brandon Moreno At UFC Mexico

    Kavanagh, however, was remaining in the fight, stopping all six of Moreno’s takedown attempts through the first 20 minutes. He continued to fight smartly, with his leg kicks doing damage. Moreno was noticeably limping during the fourth round.

    Moreno continued to try and continue to clinch up and control the pace in the fifth round, but it wasn’t enough, as Kavanagh took the decision.

    Kavanagh, who took this fight with just under a month’s notice, rebounds from his loss to Charles Johnson at UFC Shanghai in August — the first loss of his professional MMA career. Prior to that, Kavanagh earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series and scored wins over Jose Ochoa and Felipe dos Santos.

    Moreno has now lost four of his last six since dropping the UFC flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290. He entered this fight off getting finished for the first time in his career when he lost to Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323.

  • “No Sense of Urgency” – Marlon Vera’s Skid Continues At UFC Mexico

    “No Sense of Urgency” – Marlon Vera’s Skid Continues At UFC Mexico

    David Martinez has made a statement that he is a true bantamweight contender, and the future of Marlon “Chito” Vera might be uncertain, as Martinez scored the win in their UFC Mexico co-main event bout.

    Martinez got off to a strong start, working over Vera with his striking on the front foot and making Vera miss. Vera brought the fight to the ground, but Martinez stayed in control of the fight.

    Vera looked to build momentum again early in the second round, but Martinez kept distance and used his speed to land and cut Vera off. Martinez landed a pair of solid punches midway through the round, and while Martinez ate a head kick from “Chito,” he stayed on his feet and scored a sweep to control the action on the ground again.

    Vera looked to land power in the third round, but Martinez’s speed proved to be the difference again. Vera landed a pair of strong left hands in the closing seconds, but it wasn’t enough.

    David Martinez Defeats Marlon Vera At UFC Mexico

    Martinez extends his win streak to 10 and is now 3-0 in the UFC since coming in from Dana White’s Contender Series. Martinez entered tonight’s bout with a finish of Saimon Oliveira and a decision win over Rob Font.

    Vera has now lost four straight and five of his last six, with defeats to the likes of Sean O’Malley, Deiveson Figueiredo, Cory Sandhagen, and Aiemann Zahabi.

  • “Wanted To See A Dead Body” – Ref Under Fire In King Green Win

    “Wanted To See A Dead Body” – Ref Under Fire In King Green Win

    Herb Dean has irked ire from many MMA fans for decisions and stoppages over the last several years, and another such controversy — a late stoppage — occurred during King Green’s victory over Daniel Zellhuber at UFC Mexico.

    Green showed slick movement for a fighter of his age, 39, as he slipped away from Zellhuber’s striking, pelting him with jabs and counterpunches. Zellhuber looked to steal momentum back with a tight buggy choke attempt in the second round, but Green survived and worked his way out of it.

    Late in round two, Green clocked Zellhuber with a combination, continuing to throw a barrage of shots as Zellhuber collapsed to the mat, seemingly unconscious.

    Referee Herb Dean, however, gave what has universally been considered excessive attempts, making Zellhuber take unnecessary damage before the stoppage.

    Herb Dean Takes Heat For Late Stoppage As King Green Defeats Daniel Zellhuber At UFC Mexico City

    The 39-year-old Green has now won three of his last five. He entered tonight off a split decision win over Lance Gibson Jr. Green’s losses in this span came against notable names Paddy Pimblett and Mauricio Ruffy.

    Zellhuber has now lost three straight, coming in off losses to Michael Johnson and Esteban Ribovics.

  • “Top-Notch Prospect” – Imanol Rodriguez Gets Comeback TKO

    “Top-Notch Prospect” – Imanol Rodriguez Gets Comeback TKO

    Imanol Rodriguez continued his finish streak as he made a statement in his UFC debut, earning a stoppage win over Kevin Borjas at UFC Mexico.

    Rodriguez tried to get things started with low kicks and working his left hand. But Borjas pulled off a stunner by landing a counter left that wobbled Rodriguez, putting him on the ropes and on the back foot. Borjas looked to finish the fight, landing a number of knees in close, but Rodriguez gained back some control with a takedown.

    After some chatter between the two to end round one, Rodriguez began to take over in the second round, overwhelming Borjas with his pressure. Rodriguez landed a left hand that seemed to wobble Borjas. Borjas attempted to fight back, but a right hook caused a delayed drop on Borjas, leading to a TKO win for Rodriguez.

    Imanol Rodriguez Finishes Kevin Borjas At UFC Mexico

    Rodriguez improves to 7-0. He competed on the most recent season of The Ultimate Fighter, losing to Joseph Morales via a controversial decision in the flyweight semifinals. Rodriguez rebounded and earned a UFC contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, scoring a knockout of Roque Conceição.

    Borjas has now lost four of his last five, including a loss to current flyweight champion Joshua Van.

  • “Building Lore for Bantamweight” – Ailin Perez Extends Win Streak

    “Building Lore for Bantamweight” – Ailin Perez Extends Win Streak

    In a top-10 women’s bantamweight contenders’ battle, Ailin Perez extended her win streak by scoring a victory over Macy Chiasson at UFC Mexico.

    Perez scored a takedown in the fight’s opening minute, but Chiasson controlled the action on the mat, looking to lock up a leg lock and a choke while maintaining top position. Perez would get another takedown before the round’s end but didn’t have enough time to do major damage.

    Perez scored another takedown during round two and fared better on top. The referee, however, elected a controversial stand up, which would result in Chiasson gaining control with her strikes in the clinch. Perez answered back with another pair of takedowns in the later stage of the round.

    Perez worked over Chiasson well with her grappling again in the third round, going on to score the decision.

    Ailin Perez Scores Decision Over Macy Chiasson At UFC Mexico

    Perez, who entered this fight ranked No. 7, has now won six in a row since dropping her UFC debut. Only Natalia Silva and Maycee Barber have bigger active win streaks among UFC female athletes.

    Chiasson has now lost three straight.

  • “Chaos!” – Javier Reyes Scores Buzzer-Beater TKO At UFC Mexico

    “Chaos!” – Javier Reyes Scores Buzzer-Beater TKO At UFC Mexico

    In a chaotic back-and-forth brawl, Javier Reyes survived early danger to score a dramatic late stoppage over Douglas Silva de Andrade at UFC Mexico.

    Silva de Andrade hurt Reyes first with some crushing hooks, nearly finishing the fight there. But Reyes roared back and connected with a right hand to score a knockdown and change the fight’s trajectory.

    Reyes landed some crushing ground-and-pound during the final minute of round one, and that offense went unanswered from Silva de Andrade. Referee Herb Dean stopped the fight with a second remaining in the first round in Reyes’ favor.

    Javier Reyes Comes Back To Stop Douglas Silva de Andrade At UFC Mexico

    This marked the UFC debut of Reyes following his finish of Justice Torres on Dana White’s Contender Series. Reyes has now won three in a row.

    This is now Silva de Andrade’s third loss in his last four fights.

  • “A Washing” – Francis Marshall Runs Through Erik Silva

    “A Washing” – Francis Marshall Runs Through Erik Silva

    Francis Marshall impressed in his latest UFC outing and hopes it’s the start of consistent upward momentum, as he quickly put away Erik Silva at UFC Mexico.

    Things looked scary for Marshall early, as a wheel kick from Silva in the fight’s opening minute saw him barely get his guard up. Marshall, however, put his grappling into motion and took over the fight’s control from there.

    Marshall scored a takedown, but Silva threatened a guillotine. Marshall, however, easily got out of it and worked his way into full mount. From there, Marshall got to Silva’s back and locked in a rear-naked choke to score the submission in just half a round.

    Francis Marshall Submits Erik Silva at UFC Mexico

    Marshall is 3-3 in the Octagon since winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022. He came into this fight off a highly controversial split decision loss to Mairon Santos at UFC 313.

    Silva falls to 9-4 overall, and he is now 0-3 in the Octagon since his own DWCS win in 2022.

  • “Damian Pinas is a Problem” – Pinas Quickly Puts Away Wes Schultz

    “Damian Pinas is a Problem” – Pinas Quickly Puts Away Wes Schultz

    Some felt that Damian Pinas would prove to be dominant in his UFC debut, and that proved to be true with a first-round finish of Wes Schultz that kicked off the UFC Mexico card.

    Pinas came out firing from the opening minute, punishing Schultz with a series of leg kicks and working him over well with his boxing. After stuffing an early takedown attempt from Schultz, Pinas dropped him with a right hand, following up with some brutal ground-and-pound.

    Back on the feet, Schultz continued to have no answer for Pinas. A solid one-two dropped Schultz and put the fight away.

    Damian Pinas Quickly Stops Wes Schultz At UFC Mexico

    “The Baby Yaga” improves to 9-1. This marked his UFC debut after a similar quick finish over Vitor Costa on Dana White’s Contender Series this past fall.

    Schultz also made his UFC debut in this fight. He, too, earned a contract on DWCS last season, submitting Mario Mingaj with the rare Suloev Stretch.

  • UFC Mexico: Moreno vs. Kavanagh Results & Highlights

    UFC Mexico: Moreno vs. Kavanagh Results & Highlights

    UFC Mexico results and highlights are updated live as the action unfolds from Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. The UFC returns to the arena for an annual visit a year after its last touchdown. The main event will feature a flyweight battle between former two-time champion Brandon Moreno and Lone’er Kavanagh. MMANews has you covered with all the results and highlights!

    Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh – Flyweight Main Event

    Moreno enters this fight off a TKO loss to Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 in December, a fight that marked Moreno getting finished for the first time in his career. Moreno has hit a bit of a rough skid since dropping the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja, going 2-3 since. The span has seen him earn decision wins over Steve Erceg and Amir Albazi but drop a split decision to Brandon Royval, in addition to his losses to Pantoja and Taira.

    Kavanagh took this fight on short notice earlier this month, filling in for an injured Asu Almabayev. Kavanagh earned a UFC contract with a knockout of An Tuan Ho on Dana White’s Contender Series. He started his UFC run with wins over Jose Ochoa and Felipe dos Santos but was knocked out by Charles Johnson at UFC Shanghai in August, marking the first loss of Kavanagh’s career.

    The co-main event will see Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on David Martinez. Vera enters on a three-fight losing streak and losses in four of his last five, most recently dropping a decision to Aiemann Zahabi at UFC Vancouver in October. Martinez is 13-1 and on a nine-fight win streak. After a 2024 appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Martinez’s 2025 saw him finish Saimon Oliveira and score a decision over Rob Font.

    If you can’t watch the action, check here for all the latest results and highlights from UFC Mexico!

    How to Watch UFC Mexico

    • Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
    • Venue: Arena CMDX, Mexico City, Mexico
    • Streaming: Paramount+ (exclusive)
    • Prelims: 5 PM ET / 2 PM PT
    • Main Card: 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT

    UFC Mexico Quick Results

    • Main Event: Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh — Lone’er Kavanagh def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47 x2)
    • Co-Main Event: Marlon Vera vs. David Martinez — David Martinez def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)
    • Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green — King Green def. Daniel Zellhuber via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:55)
    • Edgar Chaírez vs. Felipe Bunes — Edgar Chairez def. Felipe Bunes via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)
    • Imanol Rodríguez vs. Kevin Borjas — Imanol Rodriguez def. Kevin Borjas via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:21)
    • Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco — Santiago Luna def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    UFC Mexico Results & Highlights

    Preliminary Card (Paramount+, 5 PM ET)

    Middleweight: Damian Pinas vs. Wes Schultz

    Result: Damian Pinas def. Wes Schultz via TKO (Rd. 1, 2:30)

    Featherweight: Erik Silva vs. Francis Marshall

    Result: Francis Marshall def. Erik Silva via submission (rear-naked choke) (Rd. 1, 2:29)

    Women’s Catchweight (130 lbs.): Regina Tarin vs. Ernesta Kareckaite

    Result: Regina Tarin def. Ernesta Kareckaite via unanimous decision (30-27 x2, 29-28)

    Featherweight: Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Javier Reyes

    Result: Javier Reyes def. Douglas Silva de Andrade via TKO (Rd. 1, 4:59)

    Bantamweight: Cristian Quinonez vs. Kris Moutinho

    Result: Cristian Quinonez def. Kris Moutinho via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    Women’s Bantamweight: Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez

    Result: Ailin Perez def. Macy Chiasson via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

    Middleweight: Ryan Gandra vs. Jose Daniel Medina

    Result: Ryan Gandra def. Jose Daniel Medina via TKO (Rd. 1, 0:41)

    Main Card (Paramount+, 8 PM ET)

    Bantamweight: Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco

    Result: Santiago Luna def. Angel Pacheco via unanimous decision (30-27 x3)

    Flyweight: Imanol Rodríguez vs. Kevin Borjas

    Result: Imanol Rodriguez def. Kevin Borjas via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:21)

    Flyweight: Edgar Chairez vs. Felipe Bunes

    Result: Edgar Chairez def. Felipe Bunes via split decision (29-28 x2, 28-29)

    Lightweight: Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green

    Result: King Green def. Daniel Zellhuber via TKO (Rd. 2, 4:55)

    Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. David Martinez

    Result: David Martinez def. Marlon Vera via unanimous decision (29-28 x3)

    Flyweight: Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh

    Result: Lone’er Kavanagh def. Brandon Moreno via unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47 x2)

  • Muhammad Mokaev Torches Joe Pyfer For Mexico Rant: ‘If You Signed, STFU!’

    Muhammad Mokaev Torches Joe Pyfer For Mexico Rant: ‘If You Signed, STFU!’

    Former UFC flyweight contender Muhammad Mokaev has weighed in on Joe Pyfer’s comments after a last-second withdrawal from Saturday’s event in Mexico.

    Pyfer has caused a stir in recent days following the cancellation of his planned clash with Kelvin Gastelum on this past weekend’s card inside Arena CDMX. “Bodybagz” pulled out on the day of the fight citing illness.

    In the aftermath, the American released a video on social media explaining the situation. Pyfer detailed his sickness and placed blame on the location, branding Mexico a “sh*thole” during a rant that was quickly criticized by many in the MMA community.

    “I don’t care if it’s offensive to you, I will never go back to that country,” Joe Pyfer said. “I did everything right. I slept in a tent. I did all this work to still get sick. Some people are saying it wasn’t the food, saying I got altitude sickness. I’m not a f*cking geographic f*cking, you know, elevation f*cking scientist, but I was told as long as I acclimated, which I did for two months, slept in a tent on the f*cking floor – you know, I did everything that I could to prepare.

    “If that’s what altitude and elevation is, f*ck that country. I will never fight there again. Sh*thole. Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you. You’re not the one fighting. Suck my balls. Literally,” Pyfer concluded.

    Among those to call Pyfer out for his remarks were a number of fighters, one being Mokaev.

    Responding to the video on social media, “The Punisher” insisted that Pyfer accepted the risks of fighting overseas once he signed on for the matchup.

    “TBF every country is challenge and you gotta go out there and adapt,” Mokaev wrote on X. “It’s your own risk when you sign the contract but if you signed (then) stfu”

    The scenario has marked a blow to Pyfer’s surge up the ladder, which got back on track last summer with a brutal knockout of Marc-André Barriault. While the 28-year-old’s journey to the Octagon birthed the “be Joe Pyfer” tagline, his reputation would appear to have taken a blow as a result of his comments on Mexico.

    In addition to “don’t be Joe Pyfer” posts online, the American’s Wikipedia page has also been altered to change his moniker to “El Kakas,” loosely translated to ‘excrement’ in English.

  • UFC Rankings Report: Steve Erceg On Wrong Side Of Only Change After UFC Mexico

    UFC Rankings Report: Steve Erceg On Wrong Side Of Only Change After UFC Mexico

    In the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Strawweight: No changes.

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: No changes.

    Flyweight: The sole update to the UFC rankings this week comes at 125 pounds, where Steve Erceg has received a small downgrade following his third straight defeat. After falling by way of decision to Brandon Moreno in this past weekend’s main event, the Australian has fallen one place to #9. That’s pushed Asu Almabayev up to #8 despite the Kazakh getting stopped by Manel Kape early last month.

    Bantamweight: No changes.

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: No changes.

    Middleweight: No changes.

    Light Heavyweight: No changes.

    Heavyweight: No changes.

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • ‘Heartbroken’ Joe Pyfer Issues Statement After Last-Second UFC Mexico Withdrawal

    ‘Heartbroken’ Joe Pyfer Issues Statement After Last-Second UFC Mexico Withdrawal

    Joe Pyfer has opened up after news came out that he has withdrawn from an anticipated showdown with Kelvin Gastelum just hours before the start of UFC Mexico.

    Not long after a video interview was released where Pyfer talked about being in excellent shape for the fight, the UFC announced that the middleweight prospect had fallen ill and would not be competing.

    “My heart is broken,” Pyfer said in a statement released on his Instagram Story. “I couldn’t fight today. I got super sick, and hopefully we can reschedule this fight for a few weeks from now.

    “Unfortunately comes with the territory of traveling outside the States. Never again. My apologies, guys.”

    Pyfer, a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, was coming into this fight off an 85-second knockout of Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303 last July. The bonus-earning performance came after Pyfer suffered his first Octagon defeat — a decision loss to Jack Hermansson that snapped a five-fight win streak that stretched to just before his second DWCS appearance.

    Gastelum was set to come into this fight off a decision win over Daniel Rodriguez in a middleweight bout in Saudi Arabia last June. He has won two of his last three. However, he is just 3-6 stretching back to his legendary UFC 236 battle with Israel Adesanya over the interim middleweight championship.

  • Joe Pyfer Pulls Out Of UFC Mexico Hours Before The Event

    Joe Pyfer Pulls Out Of UFC Mexico Hours Before The Event

    Tonight’s UFC Fight Night card in Mexico City will go ahead without the middleweight matchup between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum.

    This month’s UFC 313 pay-per-view served as a reminder that no bout is good to go until the cage door closes behind both athletes, with two fights falling through just hours before the card.

    And the curse has struck again, this time in Mexico.

    After both making weight and facing off on Friday, Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum will no longer throw down inside the Octagon after the former was struck down by illness.

    The promotion announced the news Saturday, marking a sizable blow to the March 29 lineup at Arena CDMX.

    It remains to be seen whether the UFC will reschedule the matchup for a later date. It was slated to serve as Gastelum’s return to middleweight after a failed stint back at 170 pounds, which most recently saw his win over Daniel Rodriguez marred by a weight miss.

    Pyfer, meanwhile, will have to wait to continue his momentum in the division. After falling short in his maiden main event against Jack Hermansson, “Bodybagz” bounced back emphatically by knocking out Marc-André Barriault last July.

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: New Fights For Rosas Jr., Cutelaba, And More

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, March 3, and Sunday, March 9, a small number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported as being in the works by reputable sources.

    For those matchups, check out the list below:

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: UFC Seattle Card Undergoes Major Changes

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: UFC Seattle Card Undergoes Major Changes

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, February 10, and Sunday, February 16, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported as being in the works by reputable sources.

    For those matchups, including the planned main event for the Apex on April 5, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with four fights falling through or being adjusted:

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Potential No. 1 Contender Fight For Zhang Weili’s Title Booked

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Potential No. 1 Contender Fight For Zhang Weili’s Title Booked

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming fight cards.

    With events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, February 3, and Sunday, February 9, a number of fights were made official by the UFC or reported as being in the works by reputable sources.

    For those matchups, including one that could determine the next challenger to UFC 312 winner Zhang Weili’s strawweight title, check out the list below:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights falling through or being adjusted:

  • Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg Official For UFC Mexico City Main Event

    Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg Official For UFC Mexico City Main Event

    Brandon Moreno is heading back to Mexico City, where he will take on Steve Erceg in the main event.

    MMA Mania (following initial posts from Kevin K on X) reported that the UFC had put together a new headliner for their rematch to Arena CDMZ on March 29, with the former two-time flyweight champion topping the bill.

    The UFC officially confirmed the booking during Saturday’s UFC 312 pay-per-view broadcast.

    The original main event was reported to be a featherweight contest between Mexico’s Yair Rodríguez and Brazil’s Diego Lopes.

    Moreno previously fought in Mexico City last February where he suffered a split decision loss to Brandon Royval before deciding to take some long overdue time off. He returned in Edmonton last November where “The Assassin Baby” looked back to his best, convincingly beating Amir Albazi to bring his opponent’s winning streak to an end.

    Whilst the Tijuana born contender is sure to receive another incredible reception from his home fans, March 29 is a huge opportunity for his opponent. Erceg currently finds himself coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time in his career.

    “Astroboy” was catapulted into a flyweight title shot off the back of a three-fight winning streak inside the Octagon and though he put on a good performance against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301, he was unable to leave Brazil with the gold. Erceg’s attempt to bounce back in front of his home crowd in Perth came to a sudden halt when he was stopped by Kai Kara-France in the first round at UFC 305 in August.

    The 29-year old was originally booked to take on the #8-ranked Asu Almabayev on March 1 until the promotion seemingly changed their plans around in order to book a fitting main event for the Mexican fans. Rather than fighting an opponent that was one spot above him in the rankings, Erceg will now take on the #2-ranked contender.

  • Diego Lopes vs. Yair Rodríguez Among The Options For UFC Mexico Main Event In March

    Diego Lopes vs. Yair Rodríguez Among The Options For UFC Mexico Main Event In March

    Diego Lopes could be finally getting his chance to headline a UFC event for the first time.

    The surging UFC featherweight sensation enjoyed a stellar run last year, racking up three consecutive victories inside the Octagon. His most recent outing was at UFC 306 in September, where he claimed a commanding unanimous decision victory over former title challenger Brian Ortega.

    After that victory, Lopes set his sights on high-profile matchups that could bring him one step closer to his first title shot. Among those he targeted was former kingpin Alexander Volkanovski for a potential title eliminator. However, “The Great” swiftly dismissed the challenge, revealing that he was instead focused on a rematch with the reigning champion, Ilia Topuria.

    It seems the 30-year-old Brazilian is already forging ahead with his journey, as he revealed in a social media post on Wednesday that he has officially begun training for his first fight of 2025. From the looks of it, he’s landed the big-name opponent he’s been aiming for.

    According to a recent report from Home of Fight’s Jake Noecker, Lopes is in line to face off against former interim 145-pound champion Yair Rodríguez in the headlining bout at UFC Mexico City. The upcoming Fight Night event is slated for March 29 at the Arena CDMX in Mexico.

    Canadian reported Ariel Helwani later clarified the extent to which the bout is a done deal, noting that it’s one of the options for the main event in Mexico but is “far from set.”

    Rodriguez has been on the sidelines since his third-round submission loss to Ortega in February 2024. He’s now on a two-fight skid, with his slide beginning after a knockout defeat to Volkanovski in their title unification bout at UFC 290 in July 2023.

    “El Pantera” secured the interim title at UFC 284 in February 2023, delivering a dominant third-round submission victory over Josh Emmett.