UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 Preview
Brandon Royval throws a head kick at Brandon Moreno. Credit: Yahoo Sports.
This Saturday, the UFC returns to Mexico City with a loaded Fight Night card. Two rematches top the card, with two of the most well-rounded fighters in MMA colliding again in Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez. In the main event, two of the most exciting, fast-paced fighters in the UFC face off for the second time, Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval. Preceding this are numerous up-and-coming prospects and trained killers looking to establish themselves on the biggest stage in the sport. Let’s take a look at the fights on the main card.
Manuel Torres vs. Chris Duncan
Manuel Torres lands an uppercut on Frank Camacho. Credit: DraftKings Network.
Lightweight Bout
Manuel Torres: 14-2-0, 7 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.
Chris Duncan: 11-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Torres has won all his last five fights and has UFC victories over Frank Camacho (22-10-0) and Nikolas Motta (14-5-0). He’s an explosive striker who throws every shot with knockout intentions and always comes forward. He throws wide, looping hooks, constantly attacks from different angles, and has power in both hands. Training at Entram Gym, Torres has only been to one decision in his career, with all of his other bouts ending in the first round. He has excellent distance management, moving in and out of the pocket without absorbing damage. He’s willing to grapple and is strong inside the clinch, but he is always ready to brawl and can produce a flash knockout at any time. Torres can do significant damage without much space, especially with his elbows.
Chris Duncan throws a right hand at Charlie Campbell. Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC.
Duncan has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Yanal Ashmouz (7-1-0) and Omar Morales (11-4-0). He is a well-rounded fighter with a solid wrestling game and dangerous power in his hands. He’s constantly pressuring forward, remaining patient, and looking for openings before unloading overhands and hooks. Duncan has one-shot knockout power and can produce a knockout at any moment. Training at American Top Team, he is averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and has solid top and clinch control. He’s always working to improve position or land damage when he’s on top. Duncan has solid cardio and will push a consistent pace across all fifteen minutes.
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Sam Hughes
Yazmin Jauregui lands a left hand on Iasmin Lucindo. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Women’s Strawweight Bout
Yazmin Jauregui: 10-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Sam Hughes: 8-5-0, 2 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Jauregui has won four of her last five bouts and has UFC victories over Iasmin Lucindo (15-5-0) and Istela Nunes (6-5-0). She’s an excellent striker who throws everything in combination and is always coming forward. She looks to overwhelm her opponents with volume, constantly blitzing forward and unleashing long combinations. Jauregui pushes a heavy pace, is willing to brawl, and constantly pursues a finish. Training at Entram Gym, she has defended 100% of the takedowns attempted on her in the UFC and has heavy ground and pound when in top position. With six of her seven knockouts coming in round one, she’s at her most dangerous early on. Jauregui remains technical despite her brawling tendencies, fighting behind her jab and keeping her shots tight and straight.
Sam Hughes exchanges punches with Loma Lookboonmee. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Hughes has won three of her last five fights and has UFC victories over Jaqueline Amorim (7-1-0), Elise Reed (7-4-0), and Istela Nunes (6-5-0). She’s a cardio monster, always looking to outpace and wear down her opponent. She fights behind her jab on the feet, constantly pressuring forward and using her striking to set up her grappling. Hughes is averaging over one takedown landed per fifteen minutes and is very active on the ground, always looking to damage her opponent or advance position. Training at Fortis MMA, she’s a tenacious grappler willing to work along the fence to get to a takedown. She has heavy top control and does an excellent job of not allowing her opponents to get to the fence to get up. Hughes constantly wears down her opponents and improves as the fight continues.
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios
Raul Rosas Jr. rains down ground and pound on Terrence Mitchell. Credit: Zuffa LLC.
Bantamweight Bout
Raul Rosas Jr.: 8-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 5 Sub.
Ricky Turcios: 13-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Rosas Jr. has won four of his last five outings and has UFC victories over Jay Perrin (11-7-0) and Terrence Mitchell (14-4-0). He’s a dangerous submission artist with excellent wrestling and BJJ. He’s averaging over three takedowns landed per fifteen minutes and is very active on top, constantly pursuing submissions and advancing position. Rosas Jr. was the youngest debuting fighter in UFC history, debuting at 18 years old in 2022. Training at 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, he pushes a heavy pace on the ground and always finds his way to his opponent’s back, where he’s most dangerous. He has solid power in his hands but typically won’t waste much time before shooting in for a takedown. Rosas Jr. has an excellent arsenal of submissions and is unpredictable on the ground.
Ricky Turcios lands a right hand on Brady Hiestand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Turcios has won four of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over Kevin Natividad (9-4-0) and Brady Hiestand (8-2-0). The victor of The Ultimate Fighter season 29, he’s a well-rounded scrapper who is excellent at creating chaos. He comes out guns blazing, pushing the pace from the starting bell and making his opponent fight his style of fight. Training at Gracie Barra Woodlands, Turcios is extremely fluid on his back and has an incredible ability to find his way to top position. He excels in deep waters, constantly sweeping, scrambling, and transitioning between submission attempts. Averaging one takedown landed per fifteen minutes; he uses his striking to close the distance and pursue takedowns. He’s more than willing to eat a shot to land one and always makes his fights wild, wherever they end up.
Daniel Zellhuber vs. Francisco Prado
Daniel Zellhuber locks up an anaconda choke on Christos Giagos. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Lightweight Bout
Daniel Zellhuber: 14-1-0, 7 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Francisco Prado: 12-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.
Zellhuber has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over Lando Vannata (12-7-2) and Christos Giagos (20-11-0). He’s a lengthy striker with excellent boxing, speed, and power. He fights behind his jab, remaining patient and looking for openings to land damaging shots. Zellhuber has solid cardio and will remain technical throughout, pushing a consistent pace and often improving as the fight continues. Training at Xtreme Couture, he has excellent distance management and footwork, typically controlling the center of the cage for most of the fight. He won’t often initiate grappling exchanges, but he has a solid submission game and has defended 94% of takedowns attempted on him in the UFC. Zellhuber is tied for the longest reach among active Lightweights and uses it well, constantly doing damage from range with long punches and kicks.
Francisco Prado lands a spinning elbow on Ottman Azaitar. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Prado has won four of his last five outings and has a UFC victory over Ottman Azaitar (13-2-0). He’s an explosive striker who throws every shot with power and is constantly hunting a knockout. He vastly favors power over volume, constantly throwing single shots and naked kicks with KO intentions. Prado tends to headhunt, often blitzing forward to unload looping hooks and uppercuts. Training at Goat Shed Academy, he won’t throw much at range, always looking to close the distance and let his hands go inside the pocket. He does a great job of holding the octagon's center and will constantly look to counterstrike. Prado can do severe damage without much space and has particularly devastating elbow strikes.
#3 Yair Rodriguez vs. #4 Brian Ortega
Yair Rodrigues throws a front kick at Josh Emmett. Credit: DraftKings Network.
Featherweight Bout
Yair Rodriguez: 16-4-0, 6 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Brian Ortega: 15-3-0, 3 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.
Rodriguez has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #7 ranked Featherweight Josh Emmett (19-4-0), #15 ranked Featherweight Alex Caceres (21-14-0), #10 ranked Lightweight Dan Hooker (23-12-0). He’s one of the most diverse strikers in the UFC, possessing an insane arsenal of kicks and flashy attacks. He throws everything with immense speed and attacks from different angles, constantly moving and switching stances. Rodriguez usually leads with his kicks before letting his hands go, picking his opponent apart at range before entering the pocket to throw combinations. He has excellent distance management and timing and never slows down, consistently putting out a substantial volume of strikes. Training at Valle Flow Striking, he has fantastic clinch striking and some of the most devastating elbows in MMA. Rodriguez won’t usually take the fight to the mat, but he has a great submission game and is dangerous off his back.
Brian Ortega throws a jumping kick at Frankie Edgar. Credit: Esther Linn/MMA Fighting.
Ortega has won two of his last five bouts and has UFC victories over #13 ranked Lightweight Renato Moicano (18-5-1), Frankie Edgar (23-11-1), and Chan Sung Jung (17-8-0). He’s a well-rounded fighter with technical striking and a slick submission game. He possesses power and speed in his hands, throwing everything tight and straight and never telegraphing his shots. He has a granite chin and excellent cardio, never going away or slowing down during the fight. Ortega advances lightning-fast on the ground, often chaining submissions together and easily transitioning between them. Training at Huntington Beach UTC, he has flashy attacks to back up his technical skill and can land flying knees and spinning attacks. He varies his shots well, attacking the head and body evenly and regularly landing brutal leg kicks. All of Ortega’s submissions have come via choke, and he is known to have one of the best triangle chokes in MMA.
#1 Brandon Moreno vs. #3 Brandon Royval
Brandon Moreno lands a right hand on Deiveson Figueiredo. Credit: Marca.
Flyweight Bout
Brandon Moreno: 21-7-2, 5 KO/TKO, 11 Sub.
Brandon Royval: 15-7-0, 4 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Brandon Moreno has won three of his last five outings and has UFC victories over #8 ranked Bantamweight Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1), #4 ranked Flyweight Kai Kara-France (24-11-0), and his current opponent, Brandon Royval. Training at Brazilian Warriors BJJ, he uses crisp boxing and solid combinations to damage his opponents. He remains patient and looks for openings but is more than willing to throw down in the pocket. Moreno has excellent top control and a slick submission game on the mat. He also possesses great takedown defense, often working out of challenging positions and returning to range. He has fantastic cardio and can push a consistent pace across 25 minutes, let alone fifteen. Moreno is incredibly tough to put away and is dangerous at all times and in any position.
Brandon Royval lands a knee to the chin of Matheus Nicolau. Credit: MMA Mania.
Royval has won three of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #4 ranked Flyweight Kai Kara-France (24-11-0), #5 ranked Flyweight Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1), and #9 ranked Flyweight Matt Schnell (16-7-0). He’s a well-rounded scrapper who pushes a crazy pace from bell to bell. Training at FactoryX Muay Thai, “Raw Dawg” has been awarded four bonuses in just eight bouts in the promotion, proving he leaves it all in the cage every time. Royval is dangerous on top and off his back, always moving on the ground and searching for submissions. He throws everything in combination on the feet and is always coming forward. He’s more than willing to brawl and has shown an excellent ability to recover from being hurt. Royval’s wild striking game often sets up his grappling, allowing him to land on top or find a submission.
Best Bets
Torres vs. Duncan to Not Go the Distance: While neither of these guys is an established name, they can quickly change that in this matchup. With 28 combined fights and 21 finishes, neither of these men go to the cards often, and I expect someone to earn a highlight-reel finish.
Yair Rodriguez Moneyline: This is a fantastic matchup, and I’m glad it’s getting a rematch after a flukey end to their first fight. Although we couldn’t surmise much from their first meeting, they both have very similar styles. Both are very fluid strikers with excellent variety in their attacks, and both have fantastic BJJ and submission games. Ultimately, I think Rodriguez is the more all-around skilled and has a slight edge on the feet, where I expect this fight to play out mostly.
Brandon Moreno by KO/TKO: This is a tough pick to make: both Moreno and Royval are some of my favorite fighters, easily my favorite flyweights. Moreno won their first matchup rather convincingly, and although both have evolved considerably since 2020, I still think Moreno will find a finish. Royval is incredibly wild and constantly throwing caution to the wind, and I believe Moreno has more weapons to finish him with. I expect Moreno to finish this one on the feet, likely in the first three rounds.
