Athletes
Mexican Breakdown | UFC Mexico City
Local Favorites Aim To Secure A Clean Sweep On Their Home Turf, With 10 Of 13 Fights Featuring A Mexico Native. Here's A Preview Of Each One.
Almost five years have passed since the UFC last graced Mexico City with its presence, and since then, Mexican fighters have made quite the mark. Brandon Moreno made history as the first Mexican-born UFC champion when he captured the flyweight title. Since then, Alexa Grasso (flyweight) and Yair Rodriguez (interim featherweight) each captured UFC gold while Irene Aldana (bantamweight) challenged for the title. UFC also hosted its first Noche UFC event on Mexican Independence Day, which saw Grasso retain her title.
Preview Every Fight Happening In Mexico City
All told, UFC’s return to Mexico City couldn’t be timed any better. A glance at the fight card reveals a deliberate effort by the matchmakers to make this event particularly memorable for the Mexican fans. From top to bottom, 10 of 13 fights featuring a native of Mexico. With the caliber of talent on the card, February 24 could prove to be a monumental night in Mexican mixed martial arts history. Let's get into the details.
Brandon Moreno
Division: Flyweight
Birthplace: Tijuana, Mexico
Professional Record: 21-7-2
RELATED: Brandon Moreno: Mexico's First Champion | UFC 30th Anniversary
The Scoop: From being on Season 24 of The Ultimate Fighter to becoming the first Mexican to secure a UFC belt, “The Assassin Baby" has been perhaps the biggest name in Mexican MMA since his 2016 UFC debut. Moreno snatched the UFC flyweight title for the first time by submitting Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 263. Although he lost it to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, he's been hustling to get it back. This weekend, he's up against Brandon Royval in a rematch of their first showdown in 2020.
Yair Rodriguez | Greatest Hits
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Yair Rodriguez | Greatest Hits
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RELATED: UFC's Last Time In Mexico | Second Chances Aplenty At UFC Mexico City
The Scoop: A part of Team Velasquez on The Ultimate Fighter Latin America, Yair Rodriguez made his UFC debut at UFC 180. Rodriguez was UFC's interim featherweight champion following a masterful finish over Josh Emmett at UFC 284 until being defeated at UFC 290, where he faced Alexander Volkanovski in the main event but suffered a third-round TKO loss. This weekend, "El Pantera" aims for another victory against Brian Ortega. Their initial encounter was at UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez, where Rodriguez secured a first-round TKO over Ortega after Ortega injured his shoulder. A win this weekend could possibly position him as a title challenger once again.
Daniel Zellhuber
Division: Lightweight
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Professional Record: 14-1
Daniel Zellhuber Fight Week Interview | UFC Mexico City
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Daniel Zellhuber Fight Week Interview | UFC Mexico City
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The Scoop: "Golden Boy," a Dana White’s Contender Series alumnus, is gearing up for his fourth UFC appearance this weekend, aiming to extend his current winning streak to three fights. Although Daniel Zellhuber suffered his first professional loss in his UFC debut against Trey Ogden, the Xtreme Couture representative managed to bounce back at Noche UFC when he submitted Christos Giagos in the second round. This Saturday, he's slated to face Franciso Prado. With only one loss on his professional record, it'll be intriguing to see if Zellhuber can keep the win streak up. He's definitely a lightweight prospect worth monitoring.
Yazmin Jauregui
Division: Women's Strawweight
Birthplace: Guadalajara, Mexico
Professional Record: 10-1
The Scoop: Jauregui secured victories in her first two UFC fights in 2022 and 2023. However, this Saturday, she enters the Octagon following her first career loss after Denise Gomes stopped her in the first round of their UFC 290 bout. She aims to rebound with a win against Sam Hughes in a strawweight matchup.
Manuel Torres
Division: Lightweight
Birthplace: Chihuahua, Mexico
Professional Record: 14-2
The Scoop: It's safe to say "El Loco" knows how to finish a fight, with 13 first-round finishes. In his last fight, Torres knocked out Nikolas Motta with a devastating step-in elbow. When Torres faces Chris Duncan to open up the main card, all eyes will be on the entertaining Torres.
Cristian Quiñonez
Division: Bantamweight
Birthplace: Tlaltenango, Mexico
Professional Record: 18-4
The Scoop: The "Problema" is confronted with a challenging assignment as he prepares to close out the prelims against Raoni Barcelos. Following his breakthrough on Dana White's Contender Series, his record has been somewhat inconsistent, with a victorious debut followed by a loss in his most recent bout against Kyung Ho Kang.
Jesus Aguilar
Division: Flyweight
Birthplace: Ensenada, Mexico
Professional Record: 9-2
The Scoop: This weekend, Aguilar is facing another alum from Dana White's Contender Series in Mateus Mendonca, and he aims to continue his momentum from his recent victory against Shannon Ross, where he secured a huge first-round knockout. The 27-year-old seeks to maintain his consistency as we approach Saturday night.
Ronaldo Rodriguez
Division: Flyweight
Birthplace: Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Professional Record: 10-5
The Scoop: UFC debutant "Lazy Boy" is set to enter the Octagon this weekend to demonstrate that his nickname doesn't define him, especially as he faces off against Denys Bondar. Following an undefeated streak spanning five fights on the Mexican regional circuit, he secured this opportunity at UFC Mexico City. Now 24, Rodriguez is eager to make his Octagon debut in his home country.
Victor Altamirano
Division: Flyweight
Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Professional Record: 12-3
Victor Altamirano Fight Week Interview | UFC Mexico City
Unlock MORE of your inner combat sports fan with UFC Fight Pass! Fighting is what we live for. And no one brings you MORE live fights, new shows, and events across multiple combat sports from around the world. With a never-ending supply of fighting in every discipline, there’s always something new to watch. Leave it to the world’s authority in MMA to bring you the Ultimate 24/7 platform for MORE combat sports, UFC Fight Pass!
Victor Altamirano Fight Week Interview | UFC Mexico City
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The Scoop: Being the first Mexican athlete to kick off the event, "El Magnifico" aims to bounce back into the win column this weekend following a decision loss to flyweight veteran Tim Elliott in June of last year. A previous owner of the LFA flyweight title, Altamirano aims to replicate that success in the UFC with a notable victory in his hometown.
Edgar Chairez
Division: Flyweight
Birthplace: Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
Professional Record: 10-5
The Scoop: After competing on Dana White’s Contender Series, where he came up short on the judges' scorecards against Clayton Carpenter, Chairez’ debut walk to the Octagon also saw him fall short, this time against Tatsuro Taira. This weekend, he's gearing up for a rematch with Daniel Lacerda following the inconclusive ending to their last bout at Noche UFC. With seven first-round finishes to his name, the 27-year-old aims to add another one to his record come fight night in Mexico City and jump back into the win column.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Royval 2 took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico on February 24, 2024. See the Prelims / Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
