UFC Mexico live updates: Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg results, round-by-round analysis and highlights
Brandon Moreno and Steve Erceg face off Saturday in the main event of UFC Mexico. (Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
(Chris Unger via Getty Images)
Uncrowned has UFC Mexico results, live round-by-round updates, start time and highlights for the Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg fight card on Saturday night at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. Former two-time UFC flyweight champion Moreno gets a homecoming bout against one-time title challenger Erceg in a pivotal matchup of 125-pound contenders in the night's five-round main event.
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Moreno (22-8-2) is the first Mexico-born fighter to ever win a UFC championship, a feat he first accomplished in 2021 when he submitted Deiveson Figueiredo with a third-round rear-naked choke. After losing the belt in a trilogy match against Figueiredo, Moreno, 31, won it once more in 2023 with yet another third-round stoppage of Figueiredo.
"The Assassin Baby" then lost back-to-back split decisions against Alexandre Pantoja and Brandon Royval before bouncing back with a dominant win over Amir Albazi this past November.
Erceg (12-3) kicked down the doors of his UFC run with a hot 3-0 start that led to an unexpected title shot against Pantoja, which Erceg ultimately lost in a competitive decision. The 29-year-old Australian then dropped his follow-up fight courtesy of a first-round knockout at the hands of Kai Kara-France in August.
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Still in pursuit of a rebound win, Erceg told Uncrowned this past week that the chance to face Moreno in Mexico is "a dream fight" that he was shocked to receive.
In the night's co-main event, lightweight veteran Drew Dober looks to fend off up-and-comer Manuel Torres.
UFC Mexico's start time for the preliminary card is at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+. The main card begins live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
Follow along with Uncrowned's live UFC Mexico: Moreno vs. Erceg results and live blog below, as well as round-by-round play-by-play for the final four main card fights.
Main Card (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
Flyweight: Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg
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Lightweight: Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober
Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer
Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Vince Morales
Bantamweight: David Martinez vs. Saimon Oliveira
Flyweight: Ronaldo Rodriguez* vs. Kevin Borjas
Preliminary Card (4 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
Flyweight: Edgar Chairez vs. CJ Vergara
Middleweight: Jose Daniel Medina vs. Ateba Gautier
Featherweight: Christian Rodriguez vs. Melquizael Costa
Strawweight: Loopy Godinez vs. Julia Polastri
Lightweight: Rafa Garcia vs. Vinc Pichel
Featherweight: Jamall Emmers vs. Gabriel Miranda
Lightweight: MarQuel Mederos vs. Austin Hubbard
*Rodriguez missed weight by one pound
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After Her Stepfather's Death, She Set Out to Skateboard Across America in His Honor (Exclusive)
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NBC Sports
3 hours ago
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The list of NBA legends who slid to the second round is extensive: Nikola Jokic, Jalen Brunson, Draymond Green, Khris Middleton make up some of the recent names, and if you want to go back there's Manu Ginobili, Lou Williams, Marc Gasol and many more. The 2025 NBA Draft will feature some breakout names in the second round — or, at least, solid rotation players — as well as some fan favorites and two-way guys trying to make the cut. Let's grade these picks (and note, my grading in this round is more gentle and on a curve compared to the first round; expectations are relatively low and with that the misses are not painful like missing in the lottery). (Check out the grades for the first round picks here.) Boston Celtics: B- Amari Williams (46), Max Shulga (57 via trade with Orlando) Williams is big — literally at 6'11" and 255 pounds — and is physically strong. However, what catches scouts' eyes is his high-level passing, especially from the high post. 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Jones is older, 23, and is an experienced high-level playmaker who averaged 19.2 points and 5.9 assists a game last season at Marquette. He's in the second round for a reason; he's not an explosive athlete, and he shot just 31.1% from three-point range last season. However, he's a steady lead ball handler and floor general, which makes him a solid pickup in the second round, especially for a team looking to fill some point guard minutes next season. Taelon Peter, a 6'4" guard who shot the ball well for Liberty, but he came off the bench for the Flames in all but two games. He was not highly regarded on many draft boards, but the Pacers liked his shooting ability enough to take a chance on him at the end of the second round. LA Clippers: B Kobe Sanders (50) The 6'7" wing averaged 15.8 points a game at Nevada last season, shooting 34.2% from beyond the arc, and he is especially impressive on pull-up jumpers. Sanders earned his way here, playing well enough at the Portsmouth Invitational to get an NBA Draft Combine invite, where he impressed the Clippers enough to take a chance on him. There are questions about whether his athleticism is at an NBA level, but he is likely to receive a two-way contract and have the opportunity to prove himself. Los Angeles Lakers: A- Adou Thiero (36, trade from Minnesota) The Lakers want to get deeper and more athletic on the wing and Thiero checks those boxes, so LA moved up from 55 to get him. Thiero might be the best athlete in the draft (either round) and has good size at 6'6" with a 7-foot wingspan, he's an excellent defender and he plays hard. Lakers fans are going to like him. He can attack the rim, but if he's really going to make an impact in the NBA he has to improve his jumper (25.6% last season at Auburn). Memphis Grizzlies B Javon Small (48), Jahmai Mashack (59 via trade with Rockets, others) Small, a West Virginia guard, had the potential to be a backup playmaking guard in the NBA. At 6'1", he is undersized for his role (insert your own play off his name joke here), but he's the kind of hard-working, scrappy player that coaches and fans love. It's a good roll of the dice here by Memphis in the back half of the second round. Mashack, a 6'5" guard from Tennessee, becomes Mr. Irrelevant as the last pick in the draft (but so was Isaiah Thomas and he had a quality NBA career). Mashack's strength lies in being an elite defender, one of the best in the draft (period, both days). If he can develop enough of a shot and some handles, he will have a role in the NBA, but right now he's got work to do on the offensive end. Milwaukee Bucks: B+ Bogoljub Markovic (47) Tell me if this sounds familiar: A Serbian big man who has some interesting offensive skills but serious questions about his defense. The 6'11" big averaged 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, and was both a shooter and a quality playmaker for Mega in the Adriatic League. If he's going to stick with the Bucks, he needs him to play better defense, but this is a quality pickup at 47. Minnesota Timberwolves: B Rocco Zikarsky (45) The Australian is 7'3" and would be the third-tallest player in the NBA next season (behind Wemby and Edey). Zikarsky moves well for a man his size and it's easy to project him as a rim-running, paint-protecting big man at the NBA level. He's also 18 and still a project at this point. This is a long-play by the Timberwolves and don't be surprised if he stays in Australia and the NBL for another year or two before coming over. New Orleans Pelicans: B Micah Peavy (40, trade with Wizards) Peavy is a high-level defender as a 6'6" wing who had a breakout offensive season at Georgetown, averaging 17.2 points a game and shooting 40% last season. Scouts tend to be skeptical of guys making big offensive leaps, but as a fifth-year senior, this one seems real enough, and if it is, he can be an NBA-level rotation player. Solid pickup here by the Pelicans. New York Knicks B- Mohamed Diawara (51) Spike Lee hung out in the Barclays Center to watch this pick, a player the Knicks almost certainly stash overseas for a year or two more. Diawara is a 20-year-old wing with impressive athleticism and a 7'4" wingspan but still finding his way playing for Cholet Basket in France. Late in the second round, the Knicks rolled the dice on a long-term play that may not have thrilled Spike Lee, but was the respectable pick. Oklahoma City Thunder: B Brooks Barnhizer (44) The Northwestern graduate is 6'5" with a 6'11" wingspan who plays a very high IQ game. While he's impressive and disruptive defensively, he has work to do on the offensive end to be NBA-ready, especially with his catch-and-shoot jumper. The Thunder are not exactly flush with open roster spots, so Barnhizer may have to earn his way to OKC through a two-way contract. That said, he fits the mold of a Thunder player. Orlando Magic: A- Noah Penda (32, via trade with Boston) Penda is going to fit right in with the Magic's style of play: He's a 6'8" forward who is an outstanding defender who has shown some playmaking skills. He's a glue guy. Penda showed a lot of promise at the age of 20, playing for Le Mans in his native France. Like many second-rounders, there are questions about his shot, but this is a strong second-round pick. Philadelphia 76ers: B Johni Broome (35) Broome was the SEC Player of the Year, the 6'9" big man from Auburn was one of the best players in college basketball last season. He also might fit into the long line of very good college players whose games don't transfer to the NBA. He's a 6'9" center who is good at a lot of things but may not have that one elite NBA skill. There are a lot of questions, but this is a good bet in the second round. Phoenix Suns: A- Rasheer Fleming (31, via Minnesota trade), Koby Brea (41, via Golden State trade) Phoenix wanted Fleming and made a series of trades through the day Thursday to secure the No. 31 pick from Minnesota, giving them the chance to draft the 6'8" 3&D forward from St. Joseph's. He's athletic, has a 7'5" wingspan, can defend, and shot 39% from 3 this past season. It feels like there's a very good chance he'll play minutes for the Suns next season. Brea might be the best catch-and-shoot player in this draft, and at 6'5" he has good size to be an NBA wing. However, his defense and pretty much every part of his game other than shooting needs a lot of work. Still, at 41, this is not a bad spot to take a risk. Sacramento Kings: B Maxime Raynaud (42) This is a steal of a pick this deep in the second round, some scouts made the case that the 7-foot stretch five could/should have been taken on the first night of the draft. He brings offensive skills to the table as a center, averaging 20.2 points and 10.6 rebounds per game last season for Stanford, while shooting 34.7% from 3-point range. The question is, can he be good enough defensively to stay on the floor, even as a backup? If he can hold his own on that end, this is a quality pick. Toronto Raptors: B Alijah Martin (39) Martin is a fifth-year senior who transferred to Florida and helped the Gators win a national title last season. The 6'1" guard is one of the best defenders in the class, is a high-level athlete, and on offense he averaged 14.4 points a game. If he were a couple of inches taller, he likely would be a first-round pick, but as it is, he could be a solid backup for Toronto. Utah Jazz: B John Tonje (53) After playing at Colorado State and Missouri, in his senior year at Wisconsin Tonje became the Badgers' Mr. Everything and a fan favorite. He plays with a lot of force, does not shy away from contact, and averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds a game. He shot 38.8% from beyond the arc last season. The concerns are at the other end of the floor and his ability to defend. He played six years of college and will be 24 next season, so what the Jazz see is what they get, but at No. 53 Tonje is a good gamble. Washington Wizards: B Jamir Watkins (43) Another older player — Watkins will be 24 by the time Summer League tips off — taken in the second round in hopes he can step in and help now. He's a strong defender who stood out at the NBA Draft Combine on that end, he could contribute defensively right now to the Wizards. Is his offense good enough to keep him on the court? He averaged 18.4 points a game for Florida State last season, but teams aren't sold. The Wizards made their bet and at 43 it's not a bad one.
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3 hours ago
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