Brandon Moreno derrotou Steve Erceg No. UFC Mexico. Photo: Reproduction/UFC News
In search of achieving his first triumph before the Mexican people, Brandon Moreno finally ended his fast and had his arm raised after three appearances in his home country. Protagonist of UFC Mexico, the fighter dominated Steve Erceg and came closer to the chance to fight for the flyweight title (up to 56,7 kg) today in the hands of Alexandre pantoja.
Aware that the organization will hold UFC 320 in Mexico in September, Brandon didn't miss the opportunity and asked to headline the event, to fight for the belt again. A former champion in the category, the fighter managed to score his second consecutive victory after having lived through a difficult time in the organization.
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On the other hand, Erceg reached his third consecutive defeat in his UFC career. After being defeated by Alexandre pantoja In Rio de Janeiro, the Australian was unable to find his place in the octagon and was defeated by his next two rivals. Currently ranked eighth, the fighter missed the opportunity to enter the top 5 flyweights.
Brandon Moreno dominates Steve Erceg in Mexico
The fight began with a lot of studying between the athletes. In order to measure distance, Moreno and Erceg feinted and fired blows without much force. In the center of the octagon, the Mexican began to aim at his rival's waistline after noticing a lack of defense in that area. Concerned with defending the area, Steve ended up leaving his head exposed and received a hard blow that immediately stunned him. Experienced, Brandon did not get emotional and remained calm throughout the fight. Dominant in the stand-up fight, the Mexican ended the first round without taking any major risks.
In the second round, Moreno returned with a violent pace and once again landed good hands on his opponent's face. More active, Erceg managed to counterattack his opponent, but was unsuccessful in achieving a sequence to intimidate and make Brandon move backwards. Halfway through the round, the Mexican tried to take him down, but was thwarted by the Australian's defense. In the final seconds of the round, both fighters landed good blows.
Ready for another five minutes of fighting, Moreno and Erceg did not change their stance and continued to exchange blows from medium to close range. Dominating the center of the octagon, the Mexican cut off his opponent's angles, but without the same rhythm as in the initial rounds. Determined not to give up, Erceg remained active with his boxing, but he landed without much force and without innovating in strategy.
After receiving instructions from their coaches, the fighters returned for the fourth round with more active movement. Once again with a good sequence, Moreno forced Erceg to walk backwards after connecting with his opponent's waistline and head. Cautious from this moment on, the Mexican and Australian began to receive boos for their lack of action, despite staying in the center of the octagon looking for the best moment to land powerful blows. In the final seconds, Brandon applied a takedown and ended the round well.
In the last round of the main fight of the UFC Mexico, the pace was maintained in the initial moments, even after coaches asked for more action in order to avoid judging the rounds as even. With the support of the crowd, Moreno seemed to be more comfortable in seeking effectiveness and began to land blows more frequently. In the final minute of the fight, Erceg threw a high kick, lost his balance and ended up on the bottom of the Mexican, who was unable to progress in positions, but tried to land elbows until the bell rang.
Manuel Torres defeats Drew Dober in a violent manner
In the co-main fight, Manuel Torres took no notice of Drew Dobber and won by knockout in the first round. With the triumph, the Mexican recovered from the defeat to Ignatius Bahamondes in the Sphere and achieved his fourth victory in the Ultimate. The American suffered his third consecutive defeat and the fourth in the last five fights, which puts him at risk within the organization.
Manuel controlled the offensive actions from the beginning of the fight. While the clock was still ticking, the Mexican connected a good combination of jab and straight, and full on the face of the North American, who absorbed the blows well at first.
Realizing the success of the first attack, Torres repeated the combination a few moments later, and this time the impact of the punches took his opponent to the ground. Dobber held on to his opponent's ankle as he tried to recover, but received several hammer blows to the head and the fight was stopped at one minute and 45 seconds into the first round.
Clearly confused and stunned, the American still tried to continue fighting even after the fight was interrupted, and was dissatisfied when he finally understood referee Mike Beltran's attitude.
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