Top Reasons to Catch UFC Mexico

Steve Erceg has experienced some regression to the norm after a blistering start to his run in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

The well-rounded Australian will put his all-terrain skills to the test when he meets two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in the UFC on ESPN 64 main event this Saturday at Arena CDMX in Mexico City. Erceg, 29, enters the cage on the heels of back-to-back defeats. The ex-Eternal MMA titleholder last suited up at UFC 305, where he succumbed to punches from Kai Kara-France in the first round of their Aug. 17 encounter. It was the first stoppage loss of Erceg’s 15-fight career. Moreno, meanwhile, has compiled a 10-5-2 record across his 17 appearances in the UFC. The 31-year-old Fortis MMA rep last saw action on Nov. 2, when he outstruck Amir Albazi to a five-round unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night 246. Moreno held the undisputed flyweight crown from June 12, 2021 to Jan. 22, 2022 and again from Jan. 21, 2023 to July 8, 2023.

In addition to the pivotal Erceg-Moreno showdown at 125 pounds, here are three other reasons to catch UFC on ESPN 64:

Rage Against the Time Machine

Tread on Drew Dober’s tires may be wearing thin as he approaches his late 30s with more than 40 professional bouts under his belt. The Elevation Fight Team mainstay finds himself on the rebound ahead of his clash with Dana White’s Contender Series graduate Manuel Torres in the three-round lightweight co-headliner. Dober, 36, steps back into view having suffered consecutive losses to Renato Moicano and Jean Silva, the latter by third-round doctor stoppage at UFC on ESPN 59 in July. The Omaha, Nebraska, native has never lost three fights in a row as a pro. On the other side of the equation, Torres has recorded six wins in his past seven outings. The 30-year-old Entram Gym product last competed at UFC 306, where he bowed to punches from Ignacio Bahamondes in the first round of their Sept. 14 pairing. Torres boasts 14 finishes—seven by knockout or technical knockout and seven by submission—among his 15 career victories, four of them inside of a minute.

Power Tools

The ability to inflict blunt force trauma has made Joe Pyfer a must-see attraction in the middleweight division. “Bodybagz” looks to push the violence envelope once again when he confronts “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 17 winner Kelvin Gastelum in a featured attraction at 185 pounds. Pyfer heads into the three-round scrap with victories in six of his past seven assignments, a five-round decision loss to Jack Hermansson his only misstep. The former Ring of Combat champion last strapped on the gloves on June 29, when he needed just 85 seconds to punch out Marc-Andre Barriault at UFC 303. Gastelum, meanwhile, has been defined by maddening inconsistency throughout his 12-year tenure in the organization. The 33-year-old San Jose, California, native outpointed Daniel Rodriguez to a unanimous verdict at UFC on ABC 6 in June and seeks back-to-back wins for the first time since 2018. Four of the battle-tested Gastelum’s nine UFC defeats have come at the hands of former champions.

Youth Movement

No one yet knows exactly where to place the ceiling on Raul Rosas Jr. Still the youngest fighter on the UFC roster at 20 years, five months and 21 days, the Clovis, California, native eyes his latest target when he tackles Syndicate MMA’s Vince Morales in a three-round bantamweight showcase. Rosas Jr. has rattled off three straight wins since he dropped a unanimous decision to Christian Rodriguez at UFC 287 two years ago. It remains the only blemish on an otherwise-pristine resume. An aggressive grappler with developing standup, Rosas Jr. has secured six of his 10 pro victories by submission. On the other side of the ledger, Morales finds himself reeling after back-to-back losses to Taylor Lapilus and Elijah Smith. The 34-year-old John Wood protégé holds a 3-7 record in two stints with the UFC, his time with the company highlighted by a December 2021 knockout of Louis Smolka.