The Ultimate Fighting Championship, beyond celebrating its diverse pool of Mexican fighters, is investing heavily in the next generation of fighters from the region. Persisting with that vision, the freshly inaugurated UFC Performance Institute in Mexico will feature a full-time academy that will start with 20 athletes and grow to 25 by the third year.
Chris Duncan
In the opening bout of the main card, Duncan initially staggered Manuel Torres with a powerful strike, but the Mexican quickly regained his composure by initiating a clinch to catch his breath. Torres then relied on his grappling expertise, executing multiple takedowns on Duncan, who managed to rise to his feet several times. However, in one pivotal exchange, Torres seized an opportunity to secure Duncan's back and swiftly sink in a rear-naked choke, prompting a rapid submission.
With this, Duncan’s two-fight win streak and undefeated run since Feb. 2022 came to an end. However, Duncan living up to his moniker, remains a problem in the talent-stacked lightweight division, and has abundant opportunities at his disposal to chase. The 30-year-old can be matched up against the likes of Jai Hebert or Ottman Azaitar, since all fighters in discussion have been at the losing end of their last Octagon outing. Neither Herbert nor Azaitar has competed since last July, so both should be ready to get back to action.
Sam Hughes
Hughes’ UFC career has been through fire and water since she made her debut in Dec. 2020. The American was matched against a quicker, sharper, younger prospect in Yazmin Jauregui at UFC Fight Night 237. The bout was predominantly contested in the striking department as the young Mexican picked at Hughes from range and easily thwarted any takedown attempts by “Sampage.” Throughout the bout, Jauregui showcased improved skills and patience to pick her spots and score with combinations. All three judges scored the bout unanimously in the Mexican’s favor.
With this loss, Hughes is 3-2 in her last five Octagon appearances. Under these circumstances, Hughes can be matched up against a competitor on level ground, like Montserrat Ruiz, a rival on equal footing in the UFC. Ruiz has lost three fights in succession, and much like Hughes, will be eager to return to the winner’s circle.
Francisco Prado
In one of the most entertaining fights on the card, Daniel Zellhuber and Prado went the full distance in a high-octane main card clash. Zellhuber’s performance aligned perfectly with his brand of a rising challenger and elevated it by turning a close, competitive bout into a one-sided showcase of his striking skills. By the end of the second round, Prado’s face was bruised and battered heavily. While Prado endured to the final bell, the final five minutes was more of Zellhuber giving the performance a final polish, peppering his opponent with strikes and avoiding the return fire.
Prado, at just 21, shows great potential for a successful career despite two losses in the last three fights. It depends on the UFC whether they want to feed him with the challenge of taking on a similar young rising fighter in the next fight. If they go down that route, exciting opportunities like potential clashes against Elves Brener and Ismael Bonfim can be explored. Bonfim lost his last Octagon outing against Benoit St. Denis, while Brener is riding on a three-fight win streak in the UFC.
Yair Rodriguez
Rodriguez was commanding the co-main event clash against Brian Ortega until the dynamics shifted somewhere around the second frame. Ortega survived the onslaught of Rodriguez in the opening round to secure a third-round arm-triangle submission win. Rodriguez stunned Ortega in the opening sequence, busting him up and chasing a finish in the first round. But the two-time title challenger endured and dominated the second, dragging Rodriguez to the canvas and opening a cut under his eye with strikes from the top position. As soon as the third began, Ortega executed a takedown against the fence with a sneaky trip, clamped onto an arm-triangle choke, and secured the tap.
The former interim 145-pound titleholder is enduring the first two-fight losing streak of his 15-fight professional career. Despite that, there’s no shortage of worthy candidates for Rodriguez to test his skills against and perhaps make another championship run. Going along with that prospect, Rodriguez matches up well against fellow striking ace in Giga Chikadze. And truth be told, who wouldn’t fancy that matchup? Chikadze is currently recovering from a torn groin injury that forced him out of the clash against Josh Emmett at UFC 296. Bearing in mind the typical recovery period for an injury of that nature, the timeline aligns for Chikadze to mark his next Octagon outing potentially against Rodriguez.
Brandon Moreno
Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno engaged in a hard, closely contested five-round clash with Brandon Royval in the main event. The opening round entailed both fighters analyzing each other’s strengths and points of entry. The pair spent the next four rounds going back and forth on the feet, with only brief moments where the fight hit the canvas. Moreno seemed to have the power advantage, while Royval relied on volume striking.
When the final tens and nines were evaluated, Royval emerged victorious by split decision. This is the second time that Moreno has endured consecutive losses in his career. The last time that happened, he was cut from the organization. While that shouldn’t be his concern now, the fan-favorite fighter needs to evaluate his options before making the Octagon walk again. In the aftermath of the clash, No.2-ranked contender Amir Albazi chirped at both Moreno and Royval, arguing that they “looked horrible” in the encounter. Albazi was originally supposed to fight Moreno, but a neck injury paved the way for Royval to step in as a replacement. The obvious choice for the organization would be to rebook the clash, hinging on the mutual consent of all parties regarding the timeline.