UFC Mexico Preview, Betting Tips and Odds
Following the monster UFC 214 card last Saturday in Los Angeles, the UFC Octagon moves south to Mexico this Saturday for UFC Fight Night 114.
The card features a dozen fights, including a pair of flyweight contenders in the headliner. UFC Fight Night 114 takes place Saturday at Mexico City Arena in Mexico. The card airs on FS1 following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass.
The main event, Sergio Pettis (15-2), the brother of former champ Anthony, who will take on the Mexican rising star Brandon Moreno (14-3), who is undefeated in the UFC with three wins. The winner will take a big step toward a flyweight title shot.
The co-main event is a women’s strawweight matchup between Alexa Grasso (9-1) and Randa Markos (7-4). Grasso is another Mexican fighter that will give the local fans something to cheer for.
Betsafe Ambassador Jack Hermansson is also on the card, as he headlines the prelim portion of the card. The Swede, now living in Norway, won in just two minutes into his last fight at UFC Stockholm in May. The “Joker” will be facing a tough Bradley Scott (11-4) who is coming off a UFC win back in March.
Let’s take a closer look at the 12 fights going down at the Mexico City Arena in Mexico.
UFC Mexico Early Prelim Card
Jordan Rinaldi (12-5) v Alvaro Herrera (9-4)
Jordan Rinaldi will look to bounce back from his defeat to Abel Trujillo in his UFC debut. The American defeated Dennis Bermudez early in his career and will return to action after nearly fifteen months out. Mexican Alvaro Herrera will drop to lightweight to save his career, which has him at a 1-2 octagon record.
Joseph Morales (8-0) v Roberto Sanchez (7-0)
Unbeaten octagon debutant Joseph Morales looks to continue his perfect professional career with a victory on Saturday night. Morales has won four of his eight victories by submission. Sanchez is also undefeated and making his UFC debut after a reign as the LFA Flyweight champion. The thirty-one-year-old will look to make it eight wins in less than two and a half years as a professional. With both fighter trying to keep their undefeated status, expect a spirited brawl here.
UFC Mexico Prelim Card
Diego Rivas (7-0) v Jose Alberto Quinones (5-2)
Diego Rivas returns to action after nearly eighteen months out, after his defeat of Noad Lahat. The Chilean fighter is 2-0 in the UFC and will look to successfully move from featherweight to bantamweight. Quinones lost out to Alejandro Perez in the Ultimate Fighter Latin America finale, but has since gone on to win both fights in the UFC. The twenty-seven-year-old will look to make it three in a row in front of his fans in Mexico City.
Rani Yahya (23-9) v Enrique Briones (16-6-1)
Rani Yahya lost his four-fight winning streak in March to Joe Soto in Brazil. The world champion BJJ player is 8-3-1 in the octagon and will potentially be looking at a place in the top fifteen at bantamweight with a victory. Enrique Briones could well be fighting to save his UFC career after losing consecutive bouts to Douglas Andrade and current champion Cody Garbrandt. His last victory came in 2014 over Guido Cannetti.
Dustin Ortiz (16-7) v Hector Sandoval (14-3)
Dustin Ortiz will look to avoid consecutive losses to Mexican flyweights after losing to Brandon Moreno in April. Ortiz has a 5-5 octagon. Hector Sandoval has won his last two UFC outings, after losing his debut against former title challenger Wilson Reis in July. Sandoval is the former Global Knockout flyweight champion.
Bradley Scott (11-4) v Jack Hermansson (15-3)
England’s Brad Scott will look to build momentum after defeating fellow countryman Scott Askham in March. Scott is 3-3 in the octagon and will look to win consecutive bouts for the first time in his UFC career.
Betsafe Ambassador Jack Hermansson is back in the Octagon quickly. The “Joker” will look to capitalize on his victory over Alex Nicholson just nine weeks ago in Stockholm, Sweden. Hermansson is 2-1 in the octagon and comes into the bout as a big betting favorite. The Oslo-based fighter has been improving his striking in each fight, complimenting his wrestling base. Expect the former Cage Warriors middleweight champion to win one here.
UFC Mexico Main Card
Alejandro Perez (17-6-1) v Andre Soukhamthath (11-4)
Alejandro Perez competes on a UFC card in Mexico for the fourth time, as he looks to return after nearly eleven months from his draw with Albert Morales. Perez won the Ultimate Fighter Latin America and is currently 3-1-1 in the octagon. Andre Soukhamthath lost to Albert Morales on his octagon debut at UFC 209 and will look to avoid being cut from the leading promotion with a win on Saturday evening. He is the former CES Bantamweight champion.
Rashad Evans (19-6-1) v Sam Alvey (30-9)
Rashad Evans makes his twenty-second octagon appearance spanning over nearly twelve years as he aims to break his three-fight losing streak. His last win came over Chael Sonnen in 2013. Evans used to hold the UFC light heavyweight title and has competed against some of the best athletes in the promotion. He comes in as a surprising underdog here, after an unimpressive return to the cage in March against Daniel Kelly. Sam Alvey will be making his third appearance in 2017 and after four fights last year. The American is one of the most active fighters in the UFC and a fan favorite. His loss to Thales Leites slowed his momentum down, but he will look to return to the form that had seen him win four consecutive bouts in the UFC.
Take a look at putting a play on “Suga” that should be due for one last rally in his career.
Martin Bravo (11-0) v Humberto Bandenay (13-4)
Mexican Martin Bravo looks to win back-to-back UFC bouts after previously competing in both Cuba and Brazil. Bravo was scheduled to face Chris Gruetzemacher before an injury left him seeking a replacement. Peruvian Humberto Bandenay steps up to the plate to make his UFC debut after winning five consecutive bouts. The twenty-two-year-old will look to make the transition to the octagon after previously holding the Fusion FC featherweight title.
Alan Jouban (15-5) v Niko Price (9-0)
Alan Jouban looks to return to winning ways after his loss to Icelandic welterweight Gunnar Nelson at UFC London in March. Jouban is a betting favorite here and had previously won three consecutive bouts with an impressive record of 6-3 in the octagon. Price will look to again secure the tenth consecutive win of his career, after his victory over Alex Morono in February was declared a no contest due to a positive test for marijuana. The 27 year old had previously defeated Brandon Thatch at UFC 207 and the former Fight Time welterweight champion will look to rise up the rankings at 170lbs.
Jouban is a favite and should get the job done here in Mexico City.
Randa Markos (7-4) v Alexa Grasso (9-1)
After reaching the semi-finals on the twentieth season of the Ultimate Fighter, Randa Markos has since gone on to secure three wins and three defeats, with five of those bouts going to the judges’ scorecards. She will be looking to gain her second victory of 2017 after an impressive win over Carla Esparza in February. She is a wrestling and submission specialist, with a taste for an armlock. Another twenty-three-year-old Mexican in Alexa Grasso features high up the card, looking to avenge the first loss of her career to Felice Herrig in February this year. All of her last four fights have gone the distance.
A very close fights on the odds, and a relevant fight in the division as both fighters close-in on a top fifteen strawweight spot.
Sergio Pettis (15-2) v Brandon Moreno (14-3)
The younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony, Sergio Pettis, is the latest prodigy in the octagon looking to make a name for himself in this headliner. At just 23 years of age, Pettis is 6-2 in the UFC and has won his last three bouts, all by decision, as he rose to number six in the latest rankings at flyweight. His victory over John Moraga marked his first main card appearance and now his name is at the top of this bill.
Mexico’s Brandon Moreno debuted in the octagon last October, with an upset victory over Louis Smolka by first round submission. Moreno has since gone on to claim two more victories over Ryan Benoit and Dustin Ortiz. The 23 year old finds himself ranked at number seven in the world and will look to head towards the top five at 125lbs.
Moreno is a favorite here. Pettis will have to use a combination of wrestling and striking to keep the Mexican guessing. I like “The Phenom” to get his fourth win in a row in a slight upset over the local fighter.
About Ryan O’Leary
Ryan O’Leary is a veteran mixed martial arts journalist and commentator. The Swedish-based writer is the founder and editor at MMAViking.com, which is the premier source for Nordic mixed martial arts news and rankings.
