UFC News & FeaturesThe Ultimate Fighting Championship’s annual jaunt South of the Border has arrived with UFC on ESPN 64 this Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Brandon Moreno unsurprisingly takes center stage, as the two-time flyweight champion tries to move another step closer to regaining his crown, and while the matchmaking may be a bit surprising, former title challenger Steve Erceg should provide a stern test. The co-main event is all about violence, as Manuel Torres takes on Drew Dober at 155 pounds, while a middleweight showcase pitting Kelvin Gastelum against Joe Pyfer serves as an intriguing crossroads clash. Beyond that, the UFC looks to get some young Mexican talent some victories, as Raul Rosas Jr., David Martinez and Ronaldo Rodriguez get credible but winnable matchups that could send those in attendance home happy.
Now to the UFC on ESPN 64 “Moreno vs. Erceg” preview:
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Flyweights
Brandon Moreno (22-8-2, 10-5-2 UFC) vs. Steve Erceg (12-3, 3-2 UFC)ODDS: Moreno (-238), Erceg (+195)
The UFC apparently cycled through a few ideas for this main event in Mexico City, and it’s not a shock that it landed on a bout centered on Moreno, who’s clearly one of the faces of this era of Mexican mixed martial arts. Moreno took the long road to success and had to overcome some adversity that was only somewhat of his own doing. After suddenly charging up the ranks to start his UFC career, “The Assassin Baby” suffered two ill-timed losses just as the UFC contemplated shuttering the flyweight division, leaving Moreno to earn his way back to the promotion once it started re-doubling its promotional efforts in Mexico. The timing worked out perfectly, as Moreno was ready to make a run towards championship contention, even if his title shot was born out of convenience. Moreno and then-champion Deiveson Figueiredo each quickly won fights three weeks before the UFC had a pay-per-view in need of a main event, which allowed them to step in for a title fight that kicked off a multi-year rivalry. A Figueiredo foul caused their first fight to end in a draw and necessitated a rematch, which Moreno then shockingly won. All in all, the two would wind up fighting four times over the course of two years and change, with Moreno winning the final encounter in 2023 to end the feud. It felt about time to move on, as both men had layered adjustments upon adjustments to the point where they were each clearly in the other's heads, so it figured to be nice to see Moreno defend his title against fresh competition. Instead, he seemingly lost the plot in two more rematches. Alexandre Pantoja had beaten him two times previously, and he won fight No. 3 in Moreno’s first post-Figueiredo title defense, though at the very least, it came in a strong performance from both men. Much more baffling was Moreno’s next fight against Brandon Royval, an opponent he had previously run through to earn his first shot at Figueiredo. Moreno leaned on his wrestling and grappling in that fight and pursued none of that in the rematch, adopting a range striking style that allowed Royval to pump out volume and score the upset via decision. Given that showing, it was understandable when Moreno said he would take some time off to mentally recover, which in turn raised some worries when he returned just eight months later. However, he was back in peak form and clicking on all cylinders in a main event win over Amir Albazi. With Pantoja still champion and Royval now seemingly ahead of Moreno in line, it’s unclear how things would shake out for the former champion’s next fight. Erceg is a worthy next challenge, but the timing comes as a bit of a surprise.
Australia’s Erceg came to the UFC in 2023 and seemed like an interesting new entrant into the flyweight waters. Tall and long, “Astro Boy” got by on the regional scene with a crafty grappling game that figured to translate up a level to some extent, even if major success wasn’t guaranteed. Instead, Erceg overachieved in every way possible, breaking out a surprisingly effective striking game for three impressive wins before getting a surprising title shot against Pantoja due to a lack of ready challengers. Most of the narrative around the fight centered on Erceg’s unknown status, as he was one of the least-hyped fighters to go from UFC debut to title shot within the course of a year. Erceg even nearly unseated Pantoja, losing only thanks to an ill-advised takedown attempt in the fifth round of a close fight, but he has found himself in an odd position since, at least as far as the UFC’s matchmaking is concerned. The thought was that Erceg could go back to gaining some much-needed experience and working his way up the ladder, but with his newfound status as a former pay-per-view headliner and title challenger, the UFC has continued to stick him in prominent fights. Erceg’s first post-Pantoja fight saw him get stunned by the knockout power of Kai Kara-France, which figured to be another signal to step him back in matchmaking. However, when Moreno needed an opponent for this card, Erceg got pulled from a more forgiving matchup into this one, which looks to be an even tougher test than Kara-France. With that said, there are some things to like about Erceg here. Few flyweights have Kara-France’s power, and the Australian truly is a crafty boxer with a high level of command of some technical tools. While Moreno might have been back in fine form against Albazi, Erceg is much more in the Royval mold in terms of having a long frame, which does raise a bit of worry that the former champion might suddenly find himself back inside his own head. Still, as long as Moreno fights to his ability, his advantages in horsepower and durability make this a pretty clear pick, as the UFC matchmakers seem to be doing Erceg a bit dirty in the short term. The pick is Moreno via third-round submission.
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Moreno vs. Erceg
Torres vs. Dober
Pyfer vs. Gastelum
Rosas Jr. vs. Morales
Martinez vs. Oliveira
Rodriguez vs. Borjas
The Prelims
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