The UFC is back in Mexico for an action-packed fight night, which takes place at Arena CDMX, where Brandon Moreno will make his third consecutive annual headliner at Mexico City.
‘The Assassin Baby’ is set to take on Lone’er Kavanagh, who steps in on three weeks’ notice after the original opponent, Asu Almabayev, withdrew from the fight due to injury.
Both men are in need of redeeming themselves after suffering knockout losses in their last bout, but the Englishman has the ultimate opportunity to re-enter the rankings and defeat a former champion in his fourth UFC appearance.
Here is what you need to know about the interesting headliner, as well as five other matchups you cannot afford to miss at UFC Mexico City.
Moreno eyes return to the win column in home territory
The Mexican mixed martial artist was stopped for the first time in his career in his most recent battle, losing to Tatsuro Taira by second-round TKO at UFC 323.
It would be a painful loss for the 32-year-old, as not only was the stoppage premature at the referee’s discretion, but it also allowed Taira to earn the next flyweight title shot against Joshua Van, something which Moreno had heavily missed out on.
Moreno was on the rise to getting back to championship contention before his contest in Las Vegas, claiming back-to-back unanimous decision victories against Amir Albazi at UFC Edmonton and Steve Erceg at UFC Mexico City.
The flyweight veteran now has to defend his #6 ranking before considering his opportunity to regain the 125-pound throne.
The Fortis MMA fighter has a different test than usual as he doesn’t face a top contender but an unranked opponent instead, which is unusual territory for The Assassin Baby.
The former two-time UFC Flyweight Champion has earned remarkable stoppage wins over Deiveson Figueiredo, Brandon Royval, and Kai Kara-France, proving to be one of the best.
The Tijuana-born warrior has 23 victories in his MMA career, including five KO/TKO wins and 11 submissions, making him a well-balanced fighter.
If Moreno wants to soon return to the title picture, he must pull off a statement triumph which will have the whole Mexican crowd going wild for one of their own.
A big opportunity lands for Kavanagh
The Londoner’s undefeated record came to an end when he was knocked out in the second round by Charles Johnson at UFC Shanghai, dropping him out of the flyweight top 15.
The 26-year-old became a rising star after his work at Cage Warriors, earning four straight victories with the promotion.
Kavanagh was given a UFC contract in August 2024 when he defeated An Tuan Ho by first-round knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series.
The English mixed martial artist was originally scheduled to face the #14 contender Bruno Silva at UFC Vegas 114, but decided to take on a greater challenge with less time to prepare.
Kavanagh’s UFC journey started well before his unfortunate loss in Shanghai, earning a unanimous decision win on his debut at UFC Macau against Jose Ochoa.
The Orthodox fighter then got the chance to fight in his hometown at UFC London, where he went the distance with Felipe Dos Santos to win by unanimous decision.
The former 125-pound contender has five finishes on his MMA record, claiming four knockouts and one submission in his seven-year career.
UFC Mexico City will be a special experience for Kavanagh as he headlines his first-ever event, while taking on a highly recognised former champion, as he could cause a huge upset in the making.
Five Other Incredible Matchups at Arena CDMX
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera vs David Martinez
Losing streak vs winning streak, veteran vs prospect, an eye-catching co-main event that has all the makings of a strong contender for a Fight of the Night bonus.
Vera has suffered three consecutive losses and is desperate to bounce back, with all of his defeats ending in decisions against Figueiredo, Aiemann Zahabi, and Sean O’Malley.
Martinez has only made two appearances and has already become the #10 bantamweight contender when he defeated Rob Font by unanimous decision at UFC Noche.
The Mexican is aiming to extend his triumphant streak to 10 and add another credible name to his record, but, the Ecuadorian has faced many strikers and may get the better as he’s earned 18 finishes from 23 career wins.
Daniel Zellhuber vs King Green
A lightweight matchup that should bring plenty of entertainment as a Mexican mixed martial artist takes on a former contender.
Zellhuber is currently on back-to-back losses with a unanimous decision defeat to Michael Johnson and a split decision loss to Esteban Ribovics, which was a nominee for Fight of the Year in 2024.
Green found redemption in his last bout when he did enough to secure a split decision victory over Lance Gibson Jr at UFC Vegas 112, while holding the sixth most fights in the 155-pound division.
Both men commonly keep their battles on the feet, aiming for a knockout win, but on occasion, they will try to sneak a submission if the opportunity presents itself.
Santiago Luna vs Ángel Pacheco
Two bantamweight fighters have a 100% finish rate, which means it’s very likely a stoppage will be involved in this contest.
Luna is undefeated and made it seven victories on his debut at Noche UFC, knocking out Quang Le in round one as the 21-year-old has three knockouts and four submissions on his MMA record.
Pacheco’s last bout was on his debut at UFC Atlantic City in March 2024, where he suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Caolan Loughran, but don’t forget he’s earned five knockouts and two submissions while never being on the receiving end of a finish.
Usually, a matchup between two newcomers does not pick up a lot of interest, but these two mixed martial artists are looking to end it early and shock the crowd.
Ailin Perez vs Macy Chiasson
An intriguing bout in the women’s bantamweight division sees two contenders go head-to-head in their quest to reach the top five of the rankings.
Perez is on a five-fight win streak, but has not fought since January 2025, when she defeated Karol Rosa by unanimous decision at UFC 311.
Chiasson had a bad year in 2025, suffering back-to-back unanimous decision losses against current top-five contenders Ketlen Vieira and Yana Santos.
This particular fight should gain some focus in the prelims as a rising Argentinian star comes face-to-face with the Ultimate Fighter: Season 28 winner.
Cristian Quinonez vs Kris Moutinho
It’s a battle for redemption at 135 pounds, as both men hope to succeed at Arena CDMX after making only three appearances with the promotion.
Quinonez has suffered two consecutive submission losses, with his most recent coming in February 2024, when he lost to Raoni Barcelos in the third round at UFC Mexico City.
Moutinho has yet to be victorious in the UFC, especially when he made his return in Atlanta, as he lost by first-round knockout to Malcolm Wellmaker.
It’s a great opportunity for one of these warriors to bounce back after their struggles in the UFC, but who will make it count on Saturday night?