Saturday, March 29, was an electrifying nice for Dana White and Co. as the UFC made its 7th return to Mexico City since February 2024, held at CDMX Arena. The whole card was exciting, especially the main card which saw two first-round KOs and one first-round submission. The main event was a competitive firefight between Brandon Moreno and Steve Erceg, with the Mexican fighter claiming victory after five hard-fought rounds. Another competitive bout was that between Raul Rosas Jr. and Vince Morales—an exciting three-round affair that saw the Mexican-American come out on top.
Among the standout performers of the evening were the aforementioned Moreno, fellow Mexican Manuel Torres, Loopy Godinez, Edgar Chairez, and the Rosas Jr. All these fighters brought their A-games, finding themselves on the winning side. So what’s next for them? Well, stay tuned as we’ve brought to you our suggestions for the potential next bouts for all five of the above-mentioned fighters. So, without further ado, let’s get right into it.
1. Brandon Moreno vs. Alexandre Pantoja III (Flyweight Title Fight)
Brandon Moreno’s unanimous decision win over Steve Erceg proved that he’s still an elite flyweight capable of fighting for a title. A trilogy fight with champion Alexandre Pantoja is the most rational next step, given their history. The former two-time champion established his legacy yet again by defeating Steve Erceg, and now he is on a two-fight winning streak after his back-to-back losses against Brandon Royval and Alexandre Pantoja.
Now the thing is, Moreno has not just had one professional rodeo with Pantoja but two (three, if you count their TUF exhibition bout, which Pantoja won). Back in 2018, ‘The Assassin Baby’ lost to Pantoja at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Usman, and again in 2023, Pantoja defeated Moreno at UFC 290, taking away his flyweight belt. However, Moreno’s latest win shows that he still has that fire to compete for a world championship. Given their history and Moreno being a 2-time flyweight champion, the Mexican star definitely deserves a third fight against Alexandre Pantoja.
Moreover, Edgar Chairez had previously declared to Bloody Elbow that he believed Moreno could become an elite contender and take the belt from Pantoja in a trilogy fight. The 29-5-0 star is on a 7-fight winning streak and also is the current undisputed UFC flyweight Champion, last having defeated Kai Asakura at UFC 310 to retain his strap in his third title defense.
March 26, 2025, Mexico City, Mexico: BRANDON MORENO speaks to the media during Media Day for UFC Fight Night Mexico City at the InternContinental Mexico City hotel in Mexico City, MX. Mexico City MEX – ZUMAs346 20250326_zsp_s346_035 Copyright: xAlejandroxSalazarx
Moreno is already pumped up for UFC Noche 2025 and declared the same after the fight. He said, “Where’s [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell]? Who knows what I deserve? I don’t know what I deserve, but man, I believe I can move the needle. Let’s go for the pay-per-view in Guadalajara [on Sept. 13 at Noche UFC]. Let’s f***ing go, man. Let’s f***ing do it!”. So, will Dana White consider a trilogy fight between Pantoja and Moreno next?
2. Manuel Torres vs. Renato Moicano (Lightweight)
Manuel Torres, aka ‘El Loco,’ was on a 3-fight winning streak in UFC after winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. After that, Torres lost to Ignacio Bahamondes at UFC 306 via TKO in the first round, marking his first loss in the promotion. ‘El Loco’, however, redeemed himself in his most recent fight at UFC on ESPN 64.
His opponent, the long-time veteran Drew Dober—who has been on the UFC roster since 2013—suffered a brutal TKO loss to Torres in Round 1, after being knocked down and taking multiple unanswered hammer fists from the takedown position (turtle position). The 27-15-0 veteran has been on a slump and has lost three back-to-back fights against Renato Moicano, Jean Silva, and now Torres.
So who should the 16-3-0 Mexican fighter face next? Why not make it a Mexico vs. Brazil fight with a fight against someone like Renato Moicano. The Brazilian former title contender is no walk in the park and is quite a well-rounded fighter. In his last five fights, he only lost to Islam Makhachev, stepping up a day before the event due to Arman Tsarukyan. ‘Money’ Moicano would be a great test to gauge whether Torres is ready for top names in the division.
3. Loopy Godinez vs. Angela Hill (Strawweight)
For the 13-5-0 women’s strawweight star, Loopy Godinez, the fight against Julia Polastri was an important one. After all, she was on a two-fight losing streak going into UFC Fight Night 64. Before her two-fight losing streak, she was riding a 4-fight winning streak. And that winning streak came after a loss to strawweight veteran Angela Hill.
Perhaps this would be a good opportunity for Godinez right that wrong, and continue her winning streak. ‘Loopy’ definitely proved her mettle in her fight against Polastri. If she wins against Angela Hill—who knows? Maybe she’ll get chances to exact revenge against Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern as well, as those two ranked above her in the top 10.
4. Edgar Chairez vs. Charles Johnson (Flyweight)
Edgar Chairez put on a strong performance at UFC Mexico City, defeating CJ Vergara via face crank in the first round. He first burst into the scene in 2022 on DWCS but didn’t land a contract. He eventually did join the UFC but lost his promotional debut against Tatsuro Taira at UFC 290. Since then, he’s gone 2-2 (1 NC) in the UFC. His latest win has definitely put him on the radar. So who should he fight next?
A fight against Charles Johnson makes sense for him next. Johnson, aka ‘Innerg’, has a 17-7-0 record in MMA and was running on a 4-fight winning streak before losing to Ramazan Temirov at UFC Fight Night 253. But given his experience, he could be a good test for Chairez at this stage of the Mexican fighter known as ‘Puro Chicali’.
Johnson is a tough, well-rounded fighter having joined the UFC in 2022. He could be an ideal test for Chairez to prove he’s ready for bigger challenges in the flyweight division. Chairez, with tears in his eyes, spoke about his latest victory in front of his people against Vergara. In an emotional message, he paid tribute to his grandfather, who recently passed away. He is pumped for the future, so let’s see if Dana White gives us this matchup.
5. Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Cody Garbrandt (Bantamweight)
It’s time to say “chwiwiwi” because Raul Rosas Jr is another step closer to breaking Jon Jones’ record and becoming the youngest UFC champ. He was only 17 when he was signed, making UFC history as the youngest signee ever in the history of the organization. Now, at 20 years old, the Mexican-American sensation returned to the Octagon at UFC Mexico City against Vince Morales.
The bantamweight fight was a significant one for Saturday’s main card and Rosas came out strong by landing a big takedown, slamming Morales into the mat. His methodical ground game did not let his opponent escape, and it even helped him survive the submission attempts by Morales. Now, ‘El Niño Problema’ is riding a four-fight winning streak, and might just be ready to take on an elite name in the division. So who should he fight next?
MGM Grand Garden Arena LAS VEGAS, NV – December 9: Raul Rosas Jr. steps on the scale for the ceremonial weigh-in at MGM Grand Garden Arena for UFC 282 -Blachowicz vs Ankalaev : Ceremonial Weigh-ins on December 9, 2022 in Las Vegas, NV, United States. Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages Louis Grasse / SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xLouisxGrassex/xSPPx spp-en-LoGr-lrg2212091337790_UFC282_weighins
Well, a fight with the former champ Cody Garbrandt would be a major step up and a great showcase bout. ‘No Love’ has a 14-6-0 record and has incredible boxing. A fight against a veteran like ‘No Love’ will be a classic striker vs. grappler matchup, and will also serve as a litmus test for Rosas’ skills.
What do you think? Do these matchups make sense to you? Whether you agree or not, do let us know what you think in the comments down below.
The post What’s Next After UFC: Mexico City? 5 Fights Dana White Must Make appeared first on EssentiallySports.