The UFC is making its return to Mexico this Saturday, featuring a former champion as the main attraction. The event, UFC Fight Night 237, will showcase standout fighters in the flyweight division in the main event, and featherweight contenders in the co-feature. The main card is scheduled to start at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+, while the preliminary card, consisting of seven fights, will stream on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for more details on the broadcast throughout the week.
Brandon Moreno of Mexico (21-7-2 MMA, 9-4-2 UFC) will finally have the opportunity to fight in front of his home fans again, after a long absence since September 2019. In his last fight, which marked his return to the UFC, Moreno had a draw against Askar Askarov. This time, he will be looking to bounce back from his loss of the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja in July 2023, as he faces Brandon Royval in a rematch. Moreno previously defeated Royval by knockout at UFC 255 in November 2020.
Similar to his opponent Moreno, Brandon Royval (15-7 MMA, 5-3 UFC) is also aiming to recover from a title loss to flyweight champion Pantoja. After Pantoja claimed the belt by defeating Moreno in July 2023, his first title defense was against Royval in December of the same year. Royval lost the fight via unanimous decision, following a previous victory over Pantoja by submission in 2021.
In the co-feature of the night, Yair Rodriguez (18-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) will attempt to regain his momentum in the featherweight division as he faces former title challenger Brian Ortega (15-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC). Rodriguez secured the interim featherweight belt with a submission win over Josh Emmett a year ago, but suffered a knockout defeat against Alexander Volkanovski in their title unification bout in July. To get back on track, Rodriguez will have to defeat Ortega, whom he previously defeated via TKO due to a shoulder injury in July 2022. Now, after 19 months, Rodriguez returns to the octagon, hoping to end his two-fight losing streak.
Luis Rodriguez, with a record of 16-2 MMA and no UFC appearances, will be making his debut in the flyweight division. His opponent, Denys Bondar (19-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC), has had a tough start in the UFC, with no wins in his two previous fights. Rodriguez, who had a chance to compete in the UFC Contender Series in 2020 but lost a decision to Jerome Rivera, has since gone on a five-fight winning streak. Now, after 3.5 years, he finally gets his shot in the UFC, and he’ll have the advantage of fighting in front of his home crowd.
The event will also feature other exciting matchups, including Dan Hooker vs. Claudio Puelles, adding to the anticipation and excitement surrounding UFC Fight Night 237.
According to the Source mmajunkie.usatoday.com