The UFC stages its latest Fight Night event on February 28, 2026, at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, featuring former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno against surging prospect Lone’er Kavanagh in the main event. The card highlights several debuts and resurgent veterans, including undefeated flyweight Imanol Rodriguez and short-notice newcomer Regina Tarin. Preliminaries begin at 5 p.m. ET, with the main card following at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount+.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Kavanagh marks the promotion's return to Mexico City after a period away, drawing a roster of local talents and international contenders to Arena CDMX. In the main event, 32-year-old Brandon Moreno, a two-time flyweight champion with a 23-9-2 record, faces unranked Lone’er Kavanagh on short notice following Asu Almabayev's injury withdrawal. Moreno, who suffered a TKO loss to Tatsuro Taira at UFC 323 in December 2025, expressed disinterest in a potential White House event in June, stating during media day, “For who? For you? No, I’m not interested, thank you.”
The co-main event pits Ecuador's Marlon “Chito” Vera against Mexico's David Martinez in bantamweight action. Vera, entering a three-fight skid since his March 2025 loss to Sean O’Malley, emphasized his resilience: “I’m obviously in a complicated position... but I have my health, my strength... and I’m ready to go out and fight with everything I’ve got on Saturday.” After 25 UFC bouts, he remains confident in his position at the top of the 135-pound division.
Flyweight debutant Imanol Rodriguez, 26 and undefeated at 6-0, meets veteran Kevin Borjas. A semifinalist on The Ultimate Fighter and contract earner via Dana White’s Contender Series with a first-round knockout of Roque Conceicao, Rodriguez trains under Daniel Cormier and boasts a Sambo background, including a 2019 Pan American Championships gold. He predicts a first-round knockout, saying, “We’ve worked for this... it’s a knockout in the first round.”
Other notable bouts include lightweight veteran King Green versus prospect Daniel Zellhuber, where Green reflects on his 20-year journey: “Ain’t nothing changed but the day.” Featherweight Francis Marshall aims for a dominant win over Erik Silva, stating, “I’ve gotta put it on them — make it one-sided.” Bantamweight Kris Moutinho seeks his first Octagon victory against Cristian Quiñonez, focusing on grappling: “I gotta be a little bit smarter and implement the wrestling.”
Sophomore flyweight Santiago Luna, 7-0 with all finishes, faces Angel Pacheco after a debut knockout at Noche UFC. Women's prelims feature 21-year-old Regina Tarin’s short-notice debut at 130 pounds against Ernesta Kareckaite, replacing injured Sofía Montenegro; Tarin enters 7-0 with six finishes from regional successes in Budo Sento and Combate Global.
The event promises high-energy action before a passionate home crowd, showcasing Mexico's growing MMA talent pool.
