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Moreno finally earns first UFC win in native Mexico with victory over Erceg
The fourth time was the charm for Mexico’s Brandon Moreno as he finally collected his first UFC victory on home soil. But after dispatching Steve Erceg, the former flyweight champion is now in a tricky position, writes Spencer Kyte.
The fourth time was the charm for Brandon Moreno, as the former flyweight champion finally collected his first UFC victory in Mexico City, garnering 49-46 scores across the board in his main event clash against Steve Erceg.
Moreno came out of the gates firing, posting his most dominant round in the first, connecting with big shots that backed up Erceg while looking fast and dialled in. The Australian has his best round in response, settling into his range and connecting more frequently, but from then on, “The Assassin Baby” was just a little ahead the rest of the way. While Erceg did well, his technical, precision approach didn’t yield the same level of impact as Moreno’s offensive output. And try as he might, the Perth native wasn’t able to close the gap on the former champ.
After going 0-2-1 in his first three appearances inside the octagon in the Mexican capital, this was an emotional win for Moreno, who has now posted back-to-back definitive main event victories after out-working Amir Albazi last November in Edmonton.
He’s in a bit of a tricky position when it comes to the title chase because reigning champ Alexandre Pantoja has beaten him twice before — three times if you include their bout from their time on The Ultimate Fighter — but with the promotion headed to Guadalajara in September for a Noche UFC pay-per-view, it will be interesting to see how things shake out at the top of the 125-pound weight class in the next couple months.
While this is a third straight loss for Erceg, it’s important to put context to those setbacks and recognize that his skid is not the same as many others’ run of negative results. He ran close to level with Pantoja in the main event of UFC 301 less than a year ago and then got sniped by Kai Kara-France at home in Perth a few months later. Now he’s dropped a competitive decision to a two-time champion, showing again that he belongs amongst the best in the division.
But the night belonged to Moreno, who finally got to leave Arena CDMX with a victory to go out and celebrate.
MORE MEASURED, BUT STILL LOCO
Heading into Saturday’s fight card, Manuel Torres acknowledged the need to be more measured and more patient inside the Octagon after suffering the first loss of his UFC career the last time out. Adding that the things that make him exciting would still be ever-present.
We saw what that looks like in full in the co-main event, as “El Loco” blew through American veteran Drew Dober in less than two minutes. A swift one-two put Dober on the canvas, hunting for a single leg in hopes of avoiding further punishment, but Torres was quick to unleash hard shots to the side of his head, eventually forcing referee Mike Beltran to step in and halt the contest.
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After losing to Ignacio Bahamondes at Noche UFC last September, this was an outstanding get-back victory for the Dana White’s Contender Series grad, who has now earned stoppage wins in each of his four UFC victories. He has very good length and menacing power for the lightweight division.
If he can continue to avoid getting careless when it comes to his defensive mechanics, Torres could be a dangerous dark horse to track in the 155-pound ranks.
AN INCREDIBLE HOMECOMING
David Martinez was visibly emotional making the walk to the Octagon on Saturday night, and rightfully so, as the native of Mexico City was making his UFC debut at home. Once he got into the cage, the emotion was gone as the focus ramped up, with “The Black Spartan” registering an impressive first-round stoppage win.
Facing off with returning Brazilian Saimon Oliveira, the 26-year-old, who also happens to be an orthopedic surgeon, took a few minutes to settle in and find his range, showing quality lateral movement and good hand speed early. As he got a read of his opponent’s timing and movements, Martinez struck, connecting with a counter right hand that shook Oliveira, allowing him to press forward and drive a knee up the middle that put the Brazilian on the canvas. From there, it was academic.
There is no way to contextualize what this moment means for Martinez, as few competitors ever get the opportunity to compete in their hometown, let alone make their debut there and score that kind of victory. Martinez and his sister Melissa, who competes in the flyweight division, join Mizuki and Naoki Inoue as the second brother-sister tandem to register wins in the UFC, and it’s safe to say that this will not be the last time we see Martinez getting his hand raised inside the Octagon.
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INTRODUCING ATEBA GAUTIER
Several members of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’24 have already impressed since transitioning to the Octagon, including Mansur Abdul-Malik and Lone’er Kavanagh. Saturday night in Mexico City, Ateba Gautier added his name to the list.
The 22-year-old native of Cameroon, who is built like an absolute truck, marched into the cage and dispatched durable Bolivian Jose Daniel Medina in the opening round, hurting him with a left hand before driving a thudding knee up the middle that put him down and out.
Gautier, who trains in England alongside featherweight standout Lerone Murphy, is far more measured and poised than most hyper-athletic, hugely powerful youngsters with as little experience as he has to this point in his career. It’s a trait that adds to the excitement that is sure to ramp up around the newcomer now that he’s kicked in the door in his debut.
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It’s important to always give younger athletes time to grow and develop, and as impressive as this weekend’s debut effort was for Gautier, it did come against a fellow neophyte who earned his contract by showing tremendous heart in a losing effort on Season 7 of the Contender Series.
That being said, Gautier is an exciting addition to the 185-pound ranks and someone that has copious amounts of upside, so remember the name and let’s see how things progress over the next couple of years.
SANKO SHINES ON COMMENTARY
Laura Sanko joined Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier at the commentary table on Saturday in Mexico City, and the DWCS fixture showed why she is already one of the best analysts in the business.
The opening fight of the night between MarQuel Mederos and Austin Hubbard went the distance, and in the moments leading up to the decision being announced, Sanko broke down exactly where the pivotal third round shifted. Detailing the importance of the damage done by Mederos and how that — as per the scoring criteria — should have resulted in the round, and therefore the fight being scored for the DWCS grad.
Throughout the rest of the evening, Sanko, who is a certified judge under the Association of Boxing Commissions (ABC), continued to point out the moments in competitive rounds that should serve as differentiating points in determining how to score those frames. Her analysis stood in stark contrast to the frequent incorrect comments of others that regularly occupy the seats at the broadcast booth and was delivered with confidence but no condescension.
Sanko only gets a handful of opportunities to call UFC events each year, but she shines each time out, as she has for each of the last three seasons on the Contender Series. She is meticulous — borderline obsessive — in her preparation, and it translates to her work on the mic, as she constantly has unique insights into the athletes and a deft understanding of what is transpiring inside the octagon.
One more thing: Anik deserves a huge shoutout for noting on the broadcast that Sanko was a professional fighter before transitioning to the broadcast side of things, as it’s a fact that many are not aware of since she logged just a single pro appearance under the Invicta FC banner.
ODDS & ENDS
It was a great win for Edgar Chairez in his first main card appearance. The Mexicali native hurt CJ Vergara multiple times before aggressively pursuing a gnarly looking face crank, clamping onto the finishing hold before securing his hooks or even getting Vergara to the canvas. The gritty former DWCS contestant is an intriguing all-action addition to the flyweight division and should continue to deliver thrilling contests throughout his UFC tenure.
Raul Rosas Jr. earned another victory on Saturday, out-wrestling Vince Morales through the first two rounds before navigating some tricky waters in the third to avoid getting finished. Still just 20 years old, “El Niño Problema” keeps showing improvements each time out and has already posted a 5-1 record in the UFC, which underscores why he’s such a captivating prospect.
Kevin Borjas scored his first win in three UFC starts, kicking off the main card by upsetting popular Mexican Ronaldo Rodriguez. The Peruvian striker was quicker and more efficient throughout, hurting “Lazy Boy” several times in the first two rounds while adding his name to the growing list of promising young talents competing in the flyweight division.
Melquizael Costa became the first fighter of the year to register two wins, earning a unanimous decision victory over Christian Rodriguez in a scramble-heavy featherweight battle. The Brazilian, who submitted Andre Fili last month in Seattle, won the first two rounds on all three scorecards, doing the greater damage in the first and controlling the majority of the second before Rodriguez registered a pyrrhic victory by rallying in the third.
A good win for Mexican-Canadian Loopy Godinez, who sprinted to an early two-round lead on Saturday and held on down the stretch against a game and dangerous Julia Polastri.
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Godinez, who did her whole camp in the Vancouver area after a couple of years training at Lobo Gym, remains a top 15 staple in the strawweight division and will look to get back to being her active, aggressive self in 2025 now that she’s moving in the right direction again.
After a year on the sidelines, Jamall Emmers got himself back in the win column in dominant fashion, stopping Gabriel Miranda in the final minute of the opening round. The 35-year-old American is a tremendous veteran presence in the “second 15” in the featherweight division and should get a step up in competition following Saturday’s blistering effort.
