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Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
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. Advertisement 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. Advertisement 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 Advertisement 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
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Mexico predictions, odds, full card preview: Can Brandon Moreno get back to the belt?
Brandon Moreno is ready to thrill his home country crowd against Steve Erceg in Mexico City. (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters) UFC flyweight main events simply don't miss. A return to Mexico City would've felt wrong without the presence of former two-time champion Brandon Moreno. Therefore, the "Assassin Baby" was as fitting of a selection as could be for one half of Saturday's UFC Mexico main event. Standing in his way for the homecoming affair will be Australia's Steve Erceg, who looks to snap a two-fight losing skid since emerging as a legitimate contender in 2024. Advertisement The event is also littered with some of the finest Mexican fighters the UFC roster can offer. Stakes may be limited outside the main event, but plenty of the matchups, accompanied by the Mexico City atmosphere, should create a rocking night of action on Saturday. Betting odds courtesy of BetMGM. Steve Erceg can play spoiler against Brandon Moreno in Mexico City. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) (Jeff Bottari via Getty Images) 125 pounds: Brandon Moreno (-250) vs. Steve Erceg (+200) Will Moreno ever stop being so incredibly talented? It's easy to under-appreciate Mexico's finest because of his long career and current position in the flyweight division. Moreno first entered the UFC nearly 10 years ago. After two title reigns and performing in some of the best fights you'll ever see, he's still only 31 years old and might even be improving. He's kind of flyweight's Max Holloway — impossible to finish and never far from a title shot. Advertisement On the other hand, a lot of revisionist history could be done on Erceg if one really wanted to after his first-round loss to Kai Kara-France in August. However, that outcome came after he gave reigning champion Alexandre Pantoja all he could handle in their May 2024 encounter. Had Erceg approached the fifth round against Pantoja without grappling in mind, he might be UFC champion right now. Erceg has been learning on the fly, comparable to Moreno's early UFC start, which took him outside the promotion for a fight before he returned for a second run. That's not to say Erceg is headed for the same fate, but Moreno is the far more polished and established competitor. There's no debate about it. This fight will play out primarily on the feet, focusing on boxing exchanges where each can expect to see the other land nasty blows. Erceg has displayed solid power for 125 pounds, whereas Moreno is more of an accumulative destroyer, mixing in disgusting body kicks that could shut down a heavyweight. Advertisement Although this is only Erceg's second scheduled five-round contest, his cardio held up fine in his title bout. Moreno has sharpened his devastating tools with each new fight, though. As mentioned, he's stupendously durable, which might be his biggest saving grace in the matchup, despite having more overall tools to unleash on his opponent. I don't put stock in Moreno having any advantage because of the location. He's actually 2-3-1 at Mexican UFC events and 0-2-1 in Mexico City. He's just been better and more consistent for a longer time against the highest level the division has to offer. Erceg needs to make history by becoming the first to finish Moreno. I can't see it. Pick: Moreno 155 pounds: Manuel Torres (+100) vs. Drew Dober (-120) Drew Dober feels bulletproof from a UFC release at this point in his entertaining 42-fight career, though that doesn't mean he's going to cede his spot willingly to all these rising up-and-comers. Advertisement Yeah, that's right. I'm essentially calling Dober the perfect lightweight gatekeeper — and that's a compliment. We've seen his ceiling, and he's in a territory where losses only come against names you wouldn't be surprised by, like Jean Silva, Renato Moicano and Islam Makhachev. Manuel Torres is in an interesting position. At 30 years old, he's a very bright talent who finishes damn near anyone put in front of him — or gets finished in the process. It's been get-or-get-got through 18 fights. In his latest outing, Torres ran into Ignacio Bahomondes, who has progressed at a quicker rate. There's no shame in the loss, but it's rattled oddsmakers' belief in him. Dober, 36, is still a competent and proficient challenge for any striker at 155 pounds. But he's very touchable, and Torres will find that perfectly sculpted chin with 15 minutes to work. I'm not overly confident in the prediction for this one because both men will create chaos. Sit back and enjoy the ride. Advertisement Pick: Torres 185 pounds: Kelvin Gastelum (+240) vs. Joe Pyfer (-300) I hate to say this, but Kelvin Gastelum's career has been the opposite of Moreno's. They're virtually the same age (Gastelum is 33), yet worlds apart in their divisional standings. Gastelum also reached the UFC through "The Ultimate Fighter"; he just did so three years earlier than Moreno. He won the show and fought at welterweight until weight struggles essentially derailed his potential. Here we are in 2025, and Gastelum finds himself in more of a Dober role than that of Moreno. Unlike Dober and more like Moreno, however, Gastelum miraculously has never been knocked out despite some close calls throughout his 29 career bouts. Joe Pyfer is an absolute cannonball of a man, whether that's with his punching power or grappling strength. The dude is a problem, despite a reality check against Jack Hermansson in February 2024. Advertisement Pyfer has every tool to neutralize Gastelum's style. He'll be at a boxing disadvantage from a technical aspect, but it won't matter because of all the other variables. Plus, Pyfer heads into this clash after his good friend and teammate, Sean Brady, dominated and submitted Gastelum in late 2023. Surely they worked together in preparation for UFC Mexico. Pick: Pyfer Raul Rosas Jr. hopes Vince Morales is his first of four fights in 2025. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters) 135 pounds: Raul Rosas Jr. (-450) vs. Vince Morales (+340) It's been a fascinating journey in the UFC thus far for the teenager, Raul Rosas Jr. Primarily a grappler, Rosas has only suffered one loss in his 11-fight career, which came against Christian Rodriguez, who also fights on this card. Advertisement This is a trap matchup as far as I'm concerned. Rosas has proven to be a very strong and talented fighter at age 20. His striking still has a long way to go, though. That hasn't mattered outside of the Rodriguez fight, but against someone of Vince Morales' experience, it will. Morales' return to the UFC hasn't gone according to plan, with losing efforts in unanimous decisions to Taylor Lapilus and Elijah Smith. Before that, he leveled up to reach his best form, winning five straight with some brilliant performances outside the promotion. Against Rosas, Morales will be attacked by relentless takedown attempts, with Rosas finding comfort in the scrambles, which could be the youngster's downfall. Morales is crafty with his submission game, scoring a variety of chokes in his recent run. Hype has obviously been restored in Rosas as he's won three in a row since his lone career loss, but I'm still not sold on him being the future of the wildly stacked bantamweight division just yet. Pick: Morales 135 pounds: David Martinez (-400) vs. Saimon Oliveira (+310) Showcase fights are starting to feel like mandatory additions to UFC events in 2025. David Martinez vs. Saimon Oliveira couldn't be any more of a perfect pairing for Martinez to flourish. Advertisement Mexico's Martinez has made his name in Combate Global by delivering beatdowns every step of the way until he earned his UFC contract through Contender Series in 2024. For his UFC debut, he gets a homecoming matchup against Oliveira, who is riding a two-fight losing streak after a two-year layoff. His losses? A unanimous decision against the veteran Tony Gravely, followed by a healthy serving of Daniel Marcos' knees. Martinez must protect his neck against Oliveira because the Brazilian has been great at finding his submissions via guillotine. Besides that, his hopes are slim, and he'll get styled on in enemy territory. Pick: Martinez 125 pounds: Ronaldo Rodriguez (-155) vs. Kevin Borjas (+130) Mexico's "Lazy Boy" Ronaldo Rodriguez is another ultra-talented young prospect getting a nice matchup here on home soil. The 25-year-old kicked off his UFC run impressively last year, defeating Denys Bondar via second-round rear-naked choke before logging a unanimous decision over the savvy veteran Ode Osbourne. Advertisement Borjas, 27, is still a decent prospect in his own right. His matchups thus far in the UFC have been slightly more stifling, starting with the ever-talented Joshua Van and Alessandro Costa, who beat him. Unfortunately for him, he's been somewhat exposed for ground deficiencies thus far, which will be problematic against a menace like "Lazy Boy," even if Rodriguez missed weight by a pound. Pick: Rodriguez Loopy Godinez is everyone's favorite Mexican-Canadian. (Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports) (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters) Preliminary notes As I said off the top, this UFC Mexico lineup features many likable, chaotic matchups, and the prelims host most of them. With her four-fight win streak in 2023, Loopy Godinez was starting to fast-track herself toward the strawweight top five. Unfortunately for her, that trajectory was unsustainable once she arrived, as she's since fallen short to mainstays Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern. Julia Polastri is about as significant a step down from those opponents as you could provide. It's a clear rebound opportunity, which puts extra pressure on Godinez in her home country. Regarding other deliverers of chaos, I'm excited to see Edgar Chairez and Rafa Garcia get to work. Quick picks: Edgar Chairez (-275) def. C.J. Vergara (+220) Ateba Abega Gautier (-425) def. Jose Daniel Medina (+325) Christian Rodriguez (-165) def. Melquizael Costa (+140) Loopy Godinez (-275) def. Julia Polastri (+220) Rafa Garcia (-475) def. Vinc Pichel (+350) Jamall Emmers (-350) def. Gabriel Miranda (+275) Austin Hubbard (+135) def. MarQuel Mederos (-165)
USA Today
19-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Why Steve Erceg is more excited to fight Brandon Moreno over UFC title shot
Steve Erceg has never looked forward to a fight as much as Brandon Moreno. Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on former two-time flyweight champion Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) March 29 in the UFC on ESPN 64 main event at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Moreno is a fight Erceg has always wanted. So much that he finds himself more excited to take on 'The Assassin Baby' than he was when he challenged flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 301. He explains why. 'I've said it plenty of times: If I had a dream fight, it would be Moreno,' Erceg said on the MMArcade Podcast. 'And it's not just Moreno – it's Moreno in Mexico. This couldn't be a bigger event, so I'm very pumped. I don't know if I've ever been this excited for a fight – even the title. I was obviously excited that I'm fighting for a title and stuff, but you always have those nerves. This fight, it was like, oh man. I don't know what it is. I'm so pumped for it. 'My guess is because when I found out I was fighting Pantoja, I'd never fought five rounds. I didn't know if I could hang at that level, different stuff you're not sure about. Now, I've gone five rounds. I was able to hang with the champ. I know I got knocked out in my last fight, but that's another big fight. I'm slowly accruing experience, and I'm pumped for this one.' Erceg will look to snap a two-fight losing skid after a close decision loss to Pantoja, followed by a first-round TKO to Kai Kara-France. Moreno was able to rebound from back-to-back losses himself when he dominated Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246. 'He's an absolute animal,' Erceg said of Moreno. 'He's going to come forward. He's going to bring the fight. He's got good boxing. He can mix it up. He's not amazing at jiu-jitsu and amazing at wrestling or anything like that. He is good there, but his biggest strength is his hands, his toughness, and I just think it's going to be fun. 'Unlike Albazi, I'm not just going to stand there in front of him the same way. That's where Moreno shines the best. Moreno's boxing against Pantoja looked phenomenal, as well. It's because Pantoja is getting in your face, whereas I manage range a little bit better. I think it'll be a little bit harder for him to hit me.'
