Latest news with #UFCMexicoCity
The Independent
31-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Steve Erceg's coaches get creative after Brandon Moreno figures out UFC Mexico City gameplan
While Steve Erceg fell to a decision defeat against Brandon Moreno on Saturday, he and his team were able to show off some impressive adjustments along the way. Erceg suffered a unanimous-decision loss to Moreno at UFC Mexico City, as the latter –fighting on home soil – earned scorecards of 49-46 from all three judges. Those scores do not fully convey the strength of Erceg's showing, however. The rounds were closely fought, and each flyweight's striking made for an intriguing, technical battle. What's more, Erceg's team exhibited creativity in trying to combat Moreno, when they realised the former two-time champion could seemingly hear their tactical advice. 'It's very clear Moreno is listening to us,' Erceg's coach told the Australian between rounds. 'So, when we call body work, I want head work; when I call head work, I want body work. 'So, you just basically do whatever the f*** you want [in terms of specific strikes], whatever is there, but work on the opposite – because he's very much listening to us.' Erceg, 29, emerged from the bout with credit in the bank despite falling to a third straight defeat. After going 3-0 in his first three UFC fights, 'Astro Boy' was fast-tracked to a title shot and lost a close decision to Alexandre Pantoja, before suffering a knockout by Kai Kara-France and this loss to Moreno. Still, the calibre of his opponents and competitiveness of his clashes with Pantoja and Moreno bode well for his future. Meanwhile, Moreno impressed greatly as he picked up a second straight win en route to a potential third title reign. Last time out, in November, the 31-year-old outpointed Amir Albazi, having lost split decisions to Brandon Royval and Pantoja in his previous two outings. The defeat by Pantoja – his third against the Brazilian – saw Moreno lose the flyweight title for the second time. He held the gold from June 2021 to January 2022 and from January 2023 until July of that year.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Monster Energy's Brandon Moreno Defeats Steve Erceg at UFC Mexico City
31-Year-Old Moreno from Tijuana, Mexico, Earns Unanimous Decision Victory in Main Event 20-Year-Old Raul Rosas Jr. from New Mexico, Beats Vince Morales in Bantamweight Fight MEXICO CITY, Mexico, March 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A special night for MMA in Mexico! Monster Energy congratulates Brandon Moreno on defeating Steve Erceg via unanimous decision at UFC Mexico City on Saturday night. In the night's main event fight contested in the flyweight division, the 31-year-old from Tijuana, Mexico, went the distance for five rounds in front of a high-energy crowd to earn the win. Also on the main card, 20-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. from Clovis, New Mexico, defeated Vince Morales via unanimous decision after three rounds. UFC Mexico City: Moreno Vs. Erceg was contested in front of a live crowd inside the sold-out Arena CDMX in Mexico City. The Main Card featured six fights and was broadcast on ESPN 2 and streamed on the ESPN+ platform. Monster Energy's Moreno (23-8) came to UFC Mexico after most recently defeating Amir Albazi at UFC Fight Night 246 in November 2024. Moreno is a former two-time UFC Flyweight division champion and made history as the promotion's first-ever Mexican fighter to earn a championship. Moreno's opponent, Australian fighter Steve Erceg (12-4), stepped into the Octagon looking for a win after most recently suffering a loss against Kai Kara-France at UFC 305 in August 2024. The main event fight unfolded with Moreno bringing the pressure from the start, almost dropping Erceg by landing heavy shots in Round 1. The second round saw Erceg return fire while Moreno remained vigilant, evading damage with fast footwork and looking for openings to cause damage. As the fight remained mostly on the feet, both fighters kept exchanging strikes and jabs. But Moreno landed the more decisive punches, especially hard hooks that rattled the Australian. In the fight's furious final moments, a failed head kick sent Erceg to the canvas as Moreno asserted his dominance all the way to the bell. At the end of five intense rounds, the judges pronounced Moreno the winner by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46), cheered on by the electric Mexican crowd. "I have gone through so much to be here. So much dedication and so much effort. I know how hard it is for so many of you to get a ticket to be here. Thank you so much. This is all for you!" said Monster Energy's Moreno after the win at UFC Mexico City. Earlier on the main card, 20-year-old Raul Rosas Jr. from Clovis, New Mexico, squared off against Vince Morales in their bantamweight division fight. Rosas Jr. (11-1) came to Mexico City on a three-fight win streak. Most recently, the rising MMA star defeated Aori Qileng at UFC 306 in September 2024. He previously earned victories over Ricky Turcios in June 2024 and Terence Mitchell in 2023. Would the streak continue for 'The Problem Child' (Spanish: 'El Niño Problema'). His opponent, American fighter Morales (16-10), was looking for redemption after two consecutive losses, most recently to Elijah Smith at a UFC Fight Night in February 2025. When Rosas Jr. and Morales collided in the Octagon in Mexico City, the fight quickly became a grappling match, with Rosas Jr. securing the most dominant positions and outworking his opponent. After a quick strike exchange in Round 2, Rosas Jr. took Morales to the mat again, looking for a finish while retaining the upper hand. Rosas Jr. showed his grit and defensive skills by fending off a forceful D'arce choke submission in the final round and ended the fight in control of his opponent. When all was said and done, Rosas Jr. defeated Morales via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three intense rounds. "Dana, thank you for allowing me to come here tonight to redeem myself in front of my Mexican people. I know it wasn't my best performance, but I'm twenty years old, and I'm getting experience. You'll see me evolve through the years, baby," said Rosas Jr. upon winning in Mexico City. On the strength of Saturday night's victory, Rosas Jr. is now the youngest fighter to record five UFC wins, breaking the previous record set by Vitor Belfort. Monster Energy's elite UFC athletes include Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, Belal Muhammad, Dricus Du Plessis, Merab Dvalishvili, Valentina Shevchenko, Zhang Weili, Marlon Vera, Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, Brandon Moreno, Giga Chikadze, Johnny Walker, Brendan Allen, Jalin Turner, Sean Strickland, Dan Ige, Diego Lopes, Daniel Zellhuber, Derrick Lewis, Alexa Grasso, Raul Rosas Jr., Tatsuro Taira, and Shara Magomedov. For more on Monster Energy's MMA athletes, visit Follow Monster Energy on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok. For interview or photo requests, contact Kim Dresser. About Monster EnergyBased in Corona, California, Monster Energy is the leading marketer of energy drinks and alternative beverages. Refusing to acknowledge the traditional, Monster Energy supports the scene and sport. Whether motocross, off-road, NASCAR, MMA, BMX, surf, snowboard, ski, skateboard, or the rock and roll lifestyle, Monster Energy is a brand that believes in authenticity and the core of what its sports, athletes, and musicians represent. More than a drink, it's the way of life lived by athletes, bands, believers, and fans. See more about Monster Energy including all of its drinks at CONTACT: Kim Dresser C: (949) 300-5546 E: View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Monster Energy Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fighters react to Brandon Moreno's victory Steve Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64
Brandon Moreno finally got his hand raised on home soil Saturday when he emerged victorious from the UFC on ESPN 64 main event against Steve Erceg. After going winless in three previous fights in Mexico, Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) turned his fortune with a unanimous decision victory over Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) in the flyweight headliner at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, giving him back-to-backs wins in pursuit of trying to reclaim UFC gold. Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Morono beating Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64. * * * * Main men 😎#UFCMexico main event has arrived! — UFC (@ufc) March 29, 2025 Ready to walk 👀#UFCMexico main event is up next! — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 It's time for the #UFCMexico main event! Former flyweight king Brandon Moreno looks to defend home soil against Steve Erceg! Full coverage: — MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 30, 2025 MAIN EVENT TIME! #UFCMexico — UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) March 30, 2025 Moreno's upper body and head movement looks spectacular so far! #UFCMexicoCity — Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) March 30, 2025 10-9 Moreno.. there is nothing baby about this man.. he has graduated to full grown assassin #UFCMexicoCity #UFCMéxico — Ian Parker (@IanParkerMMA) March 30, 2025 Main event is heating up 👀#UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 20-18 Moreno. Erceg is very much in this, but Moreno is just sharper defensively. #UFCMexico — Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) March 30, 2025 Ecerg looking comfortable now just had get that fear out from getting got the last fight — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) March 30, 2025 29-28 Moreno #UFCMexicoCity — Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) March 30, 2025 15 minutes down, 10 more on the table 😤 Who's ahead on your scorecards? #UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 Moreno-Erceg is closing in on technical thriller status. #UFCMexico — Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) March 30, 2025 Great flyweight fight, in a great combat sports city. What a treat this fight is. Good chance round five will decide the winner. Both gladiators need to dig deep. Or could be 3-1 Moreno.#UFCMexico — Gorgeous George (@MMAJunkieGeorge) March 30, 2025 Good fight take down at the end cost Ecerg again happy for Moreno tho he always pushes the pace 👌👏👏 — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) March 30, 2025 #UFCMexico results: Brandon Moreno def. Steve Erceg via unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46) Full coverage: — MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 30, 2025 MOST FLYWEIGHT WINS – UFC History 13 – Alexandre Pantoja 13 – Demetrious Johnson 13 – Joseph Benavidez 11 – Brandon Moreno 10 – Deiveson Figueiredo#UFCMexicoCity — Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) March 30, 2025 VICTORY FOR THE ASSASSIN BABY 🇲🇽 Brandon Moreno battles for 5 rounds to get his first win on home soil! #UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 Don't boo that man. It was a great fighter losing to a great fighter. #UFCMexico — Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) March 30, 2025 Vibes are HIGH 📈#UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Fighters react to Brandon Moreno's victory Steve Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64
USA Today
30-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Fighters react to Brandon Moreno's victory Steve Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64
Brandon Moreno finally got his hand raised on home soil Saturday when he emerged victorious from the UFC on ESPN 64 main event against Steve Erceg. After going winless in three previous fights in Mexico, Moreno (23-8-2 MMA, 11-4-2 UFC) turned his fortune with a unanimous decision victory over Erceg (12-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) in the flyweight headliner at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, giving him back-to-backs wins in pursuit of trying to reclaim UFC gold. Check below for the top X (formerly Twitter) reactions to Morono beating Erceg at UFC on ESPN 64. * * * * Ready to walk 👀#UFCMexico main event is up next! — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 It's time for the #UFCMexico main event! Former flyweight king Brandon Moreno looks to defend home soil against Steve Erceg! Full coverage: — MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) March 30, 2025 Moreno's upper body and head movement looks spectacular so far! #UFCMexicoCity — Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) March 30, 2025 10-9 Moreno.. there is nothing baby about this man.. he has graduated to full grown assassin #UFCMexicoCity #UFCMéxico — Ian Parker (@IanParkerMMA) March 30, 2025 20-18 Moreno. Erceg is very much in this, but Moreno is just sharper defensively. #UFCMexico — Matthew Wells (@MrMWells) March 30, 2025 Ecerg looking comfortable now just had get that fear out from getting got the last fight — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) March 30, 2025 15 minutes down, 10 more on the table 😤 Who's ahead on your scorecards? #UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 Moreno-Erceg is closing in on technical thriller status. #UFCMexico — Brian Campbell (@BCampbell) March 30, 2025 Great flyweight fight, in a great combat sports city. What a treat this fight is. Good chance round five will decide the winner. Both gladiators need to dig deep. Or could be 3-1 Moreno.#UFCMexico — Gorgeous George (@MMAJunkieGeorge) March 30, 2025 Good fight take down at the end cost Ecerg again happy for Moreno tho he always pushes the pace 👌👏👏 — Terrance McKinney (@twrecks155) March 30, 2025 MOST FLYWEIGHT WINS – UFC History 13 – Alexandre Pantoja 13 – Demetrious Johnson 13 – Joseph Benavidez 11 – Brandon Moreno 10 – Deiveson Figueiredo#UFCMexicoCity — Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) March 30, 2025 VICTORY FOR THE ASSASSIN BABY 🇲🇽 Brandon Moreno battles for 5 rounds to get his first win on home soil! #UFCMexico — UFC (@ufc) March 30, 2025 Don't boo that man. It was a great fighter losing to a great fighter. #UFCMexico — Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) March 30, 2025
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC Mexico City ‘Weekend Lock' ... What's Yours?
Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images UFC Mexico City is less than 24 hours away ... It all goes down this weekend (Sat., March 29, 2025) from inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. In the main event, former two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight champion, Brandon Moreno, takes on No. 8-ranked contender, Steve Erceg, in a pivotal 125-pound showdown. Advertisement We've started a new series at called 'Weekend Lock,' where we share one bet that we feel could slap South of the Border when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that's you!), so please tell us your most confident UFC Mexico City betting lock in the comments section below (full UFC Mexico City odds here). We're 3-0 so far, so let's keep keeping on below ... UFC Fight Night: Dober v Green Moreno vs. Erceg might be UFC Mexico City's official main event, but Drew Dober vs. Manuel Torres is the people's main event and hands-down the most entertaining scrap on the card. And that's because one of these guys is getting sent to the shadow realm by the end of the night. Advertisement Which brings me straight to Weekend Lock: Dober is going to knockout Torres ... regardless of his 'new' strategy. I get it — Dober might be on the back nine of his career, dropping three of his last four with two stoppages in there. But, hold up because those losses were to Renato Moicano and Jean Silva, who are absolutely tearing it up right now. Plus, the Silva fight only ended because of a gnarly cut ... not because Dober was out cold. And that other stoppage? Matt Frevola finally cracked that granite chin (see it here); however, before that, Dober's durability was borderline legendary. The dude is tough as nails, never shies away from a firefight, and lives by the 'take one to give one' philosophy ... even if he's teasing a gameplan switch for this fight (sure, Drew, we believe you!). Advertisement Now, Torres? He's a wild man — 'Loco' ain't just a random nickname. But, he's sloppy and eats shots like they're delicious tacos at a popular street cart. He got slept in his last fight against Ignacio Bahamondes (watch highlights), and even in his brutal knockout win over Nikolas Motta, he got cracked first. Yeah, he's six years younger than Dober and might hit a little harder, but his defense is basically nonexistent. That's a recipe for getting starched against a veteran like Dober, who still possesses insane power in those hands. I'm riding with Dober by knockout at +130. It's a value pick for a guy who can weather the early storm and land a fight-ender. Here is a brief counterpoint argument to take Torres: Advertisement GROK AI added this as well: Betting on Manuel Torres for his fight against Drew Dober at UFC Mexico City on March 29, 2025, could be an intriguing option for several reasons, based on his fighting style, recent performances, and the context of the matchup. Here's a breakdown of why you might consider placing a bet on him: Torres is known for his explosive, high-octane approach in the lightweight division. The 30-year-old Mexican fighter has a reputation for finishing fights early, with 13 of his 15 career wins coming inside the distance—11 in the first round alone. Torres also has multiple paths to victory. While he's a finisher by nature—50% of his wins are by submission—he's facing a Dober who has lost 30% of his fights by submission. Torres averages 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes and has a 66% takedown success rate, contrasting with Dober's 17% takedown accuracy and 56% takedown defense. If Torres mixes in his grappling (2.26 takedowns per 15 minutes), he could exploit Dober's historical vulnerability on the ground, especially given Dober's recent skid of three losses in his last four fights. Manuel Torres To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +200 Manuel Torres To Win By Submission: +400 Manuel Torres To Win By Decision: +1100 Draw: +5000 Drew Dober To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +300 Drew Dober To Win By Submission: +1100 Drew Dober To Win By Decision: +225 Do you agree with our lock of the weekend? Please sound off in the comments and let us know your most confident UFC Mexico City pick this weekend. Correct 'lock' predictions will be shared in our 'Best of the Best' article next week, too. Remember that will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Mexico City card right here, starting with the ESPN+ 'Prelims' matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 7 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+). To check out the latest and greatest UFC Mexico City: 'Moreno vs. Erceg' news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. More from
