UFC Mexico Main Card Preview

Published by Paul Browne on March 27, 2025

Fight Night Fiesta

The UFC moves south of the border this weekend, as Arena CDMX in Mexico City plays host to the world leader for the second year running.

Let’s take a look at the main card fights taking place at UFC on ESPN 64 this weekend.

Brandon Moreno vs. Steve Erceg

Former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno (22-8-2 MMA, 10-5-2 UFC) headlines in his home country once again as he looks to work his way back into title contention. “The Assassin Baby” is the first Mexican-born fighter to win UFC gold, but he is still chasing his first UFC victory on Mexican soil, having lost two and drawn one of his previous three bouts on home turf.

Former title challenger Steve Erceg (12-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) awaits Moreno as he looks to avoid a third consecutive defeat. “Astroboy” signed with the UFC less than two years ago, and after winning his first three fights inside the Octagon, he found himself thrust into a short-notice title fight against Alexandre Pantoja in Rio de Janeiro last May.

His defeat there was followed by a knockout loss at the hands of Kai Kara-France in August, and the Australian now arrives in Mexico with his back against the wall.

Manuel Torres vs. Drew Dober

The people’s main event.

Manuel Torres (15-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC), who has six first-round finishes in his past seven fights, squares off against Drew Dober (27-13 MMA, 13-9 UFC), who is tied with Dustin Poirier for the most knockouts in lightweight history.

Dober makes the walk to the Octagon for the 25th time this weekend and will be hoping that experience can help him overcome the onslaught that inevitably arrives when Torres is given the green light to start fighting.

Dober has always been renowned as a fast starter himself, and with this weekend’s event taking place 7,349 feet above sea level, it will be interesting to see how both fighters approach this one, especially if the fight goes longer than the opening round.

Kelvin Gastelum vs. Joe Pyfer

The Ultimate Fighter season 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum (19-9 MMA, 13-9 UFC) moves back up to the middleweight division after an ill-fated run at 170 pounds over the past two years. The Arizona native faces surging prospect Joe Pyfer (13-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC), who will tower over Gastelum, bringing a 6-inch height and 3.5-inch reach advantage into Saturday’s contest.

Outside of his loss to Jack Hermansson a year ago, Pyfer has looked sensational during his short UFC tenure. Finishes over Alen Amedovski, Gerald Meerschaert, Abdul Razak Alhassan, and Marc-Andre Barriault have earmarked the 28-year-old as a potential future champion in the division.

Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Vince Morales

At just 18 years old, Raul Rosas Jr. (10-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) became the youngest fighter to ever earn a victory inside the Octagon when he submitted Jay Perrin at UFC 282 in December 2022.

Now on a three-fight winning streak, “El Niño Problema” will look to send Vince Morales packing from the UFC for a second time this weekend. Morales (16-9 MMA, 3-7 UFC) recently returned to the organization after two years fighting on the regional scene. However, having lost both fights in his second UFC stint, “Vandetta” may be fighting to keep his job on Saturday.

David Martinez vs. Saimon Oliveira

Former Combate Global bantamweight champion David Martinez makes his UFC debut after impressing on the most recent season of Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS). Martinez joins his sister Melissa on the UFC roster and will face Saimon Oliveira (18-5 MMA, 0-2 UFC), who hasn’t fought since January 2023 and whose last victory came on DWCS in September 2021.

Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas

Ronaldo Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) will be looking for his third win inside the Octagon in the main card opener against Kevin Borgas (9-3 MMA, 0-2 UFC), who has lost to both Joshua Van and Alessandro Costa since joining the UFC in late 2023.

UFC on ESPN 64 takes place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City this Saturday night.