- Brandon Moreno (125.5) vs. Lone'er Kavanagh (125)
- David Martinez (135) vs. Marlon Vera (136)
- Bobby Green (155) vs. Daniel Zellhuber (155)
- Felipe Bunes (125) vs. Edgar Chairez (125)
- Kevin Borjas (126) vs. Imanol Rodriguez (125)
- Santiago Luna (136) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)
- Ryan Gandra (185) vs. Jose Medina (186)
- Macy Chiasson (135) vs. Ailin Perez (136)
- Kris Moutinho (136) vs. Cristian Quinonez (136)
- Douglas Silva de Andrade (146) vs. Javier Reyes (145)
- Ernesta Kareckaite (129.5) vs. Regina Tarin (130)
- Francis Marshall (145) vs. Erik Silva (146)
- Damian Pinas (186) vs. Wesley Schultz (186)
Sherdog's live UFC Mexico coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The event is also known as UFC Fight Night 268.
Damian Pinas (186) vs. Wesley Schultz (186)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Pinas (-270); Schultz (+220)
The UFC chose well by matching this Mexico City card the way it did in one regard, in that there are only two bouts on the 13-fight billing taking place above 155 pounds. Bettors and prognosticators may disagree with some matchmaking choices, given that favored fighters today will close with an average line a little beneath -450. This curtain jerker is one of the two larger matches and one of five where the favorite does not eclipse -250, as debuting middleweights from DWCS crash into one another with hopes of separating wheat from chaff. Repping both Aruba and Suriname while likely the butt of jokes much of his life, Pinas (8-1, 0-0 UFC) will be squaring off against brother longhair Schultz (8-2, 0-0 UFC). Referee Horacio Lopez Villanueva takes charge of the fight, and the two 185ers bump fists.
Pinas moves right to the center of the cage, letting loose a low kick to stop Schultz from jabbing. Schultz tries to fire back with a left hook, but all he can land is a leg kick of his own. Pinas hits him back far harder in the lead leg, turning his hips into those strikes and forcing a level change on the third land. Pinas shuts down the double-leg takedown attempt and rails Schultz with a fierce right hand at the end of a one-two, putting “Party Time” down. Pinas looks to finish the job, but Schultz somehow weathers the storm and powers his way back to his feet, where he looks for a takedown. Wrapping his arms around Pinas’ waist, he drags them both down to the floor, but this is not a good strategy. Pinas is pulled on top of his foe, where he unleashes elbows that punish Schultz for the ground effort. Pinas hunts for an anaconda choke, and when he hits the gator roll, he is too loose and they separate and stand back up. Pinas drills his man in the chin with an uppercut, and Schultz crumbles and tries for an ankle pick. “Baba Yaga” shuts it down, forces Schultz to stand up and thrusts through the guard with a piston-like one-two. Schultz collapses to the floor, and this time, he is not getting back up. Villanueva sees that Schultz’ goose is cooked, and he waves the fight off right around the midpoint of the round. There are far worse ways to make your promotional debut, with Pinas calmly walking off after putting in work.
Damian Pinas def. Wesley Schultz R1 2:30 via TKO (Punches)
Francis Marshall (145) vs. Erik Silva (146)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Marshall (-700); Silva (+500)
With three hours to plug through seven prelims, the promotion wastes no time in moving to the next matchup. This one comes at 145 pounds between a pair of gents that could sorely use a victory. Silva (9-3, 0-2 UFC) is winless after two walks to the Octagon, appearing roughly every other year and not building any momentum in the overstuffed division. He meets Marshall (8-3, 2-3 UFC), who was on the wrong end of some of the worst scorecards offered last year. Referee Fernando Salas Navarro receives the assignment, standing back as the athletes touch ‘em up.
Silva says hello with a spinning wheel kick, and Marshall barely gets his guard up in time so as to not get leveled. Marshall has to back off, and Silva spins with a back kick that connects to the body. Marshall pushes off when trying to engage, and his finger jams into Silva’s eye socket. Salas calls time when he recognizes the foul, and he goes to Marshall to tell him to be careful. The Venezuelan takes less than 30 seconds to clear his vision before restarting. Marshall attacks him with looping hooks, using them to close the distance and drop down for a slick double-leg takedown. Silva stands up by wrapping his arm around Marshall’s neck with a guillotine choke, and Marshall mat returns him and even briefly threatens with a Von Preux shoulder choke. Silva turns to his side to try to buck off, but Marshall in half guard keeps him stuck. Marshall settles for smacking Silva around with a few strikes before lowering himself down to pursue an arm-triangle choke, and Silva’s bucking and wriggling keeps him safe for the time being. Marshall is able to pass to mount, and when Silva turns his back, Marshall immediately snatches up a rear-naked choke. Switching his grip to one of a more brute-force variety, “Fire” Marshall does not even go palm-to-palm as he crushes Silva’s larynx and carotid artery. Silva posts off his left arm and does not fight the grip, instead just biding time before he inevitably taps out. This speedy finish justifies the massive odds in Marshall’s favor, with this leg in most of your parlays hitting with style points.
Francis Marshall def. Erik Silva R1 2:29 via Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
Ernesta Kareckaite (129.5) vs. Regina Tarin (130)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Kareckaite (-188); Tarin (+152)
Due to the short-notice nature of the match, late replacement and well-named “Kill Bill” Tarin (7-0, 0-0 UFC) puts her 0 on the line on just a few days’ notice. She steps up against heavy-handed Lithuanian Kareckaite (6-1-1, 1-1 UFC), who just so happens to call herself “Heavy-Handed.” Bit on the nose, just like what she wants her punches to be. The referee for this 130-pound catchweight contest will be Raul Porrata. The ladies clap hands together, with fans clearly picking a side.
That side is Tarin, who springs from side to side and walks directly into a Kareckaite left hand. Kareckaite throws heavy punches at her, swinging with wide-arcing lobs and mixing in a knee when Tarin closes in. Tarin pushes out a front kick, and Kareckaite catches it and swats it away. Tarin hammers the front leg with a kick, and she sits in the pocket to bang it out with Kareckaite. Tarin’s offense wobbles Kareckaite’s legs, and these women are trading viciously with no regard to defense. They have both cracked one another, and Kareckaite’s nose is turning red 90 seconds in. Tarin tries for a low-to-high kick combo, and Kareckaite grabs it and pushes her back, drilling Tarin with a subsequent right hand. Tarin clips Kareckaite with another right, and Kareckaite has to shake it off and gets right back to trading leather. Both women connect in an exchange, and Kareckaite ends her own combination with a pair of chopping kicks.
Tarin threatens with kicks that open up her hands, but she cannot back off the advancing Lithuanian for long. Kareckaite walks through a body kick to score an overhand right, and she connects with a second that is met with a fierce counter. Flurries from both sides go flying, and Kareckaite smacks Tarin upside the head with a hard right. Kareckaite leans forward to clinch up, and Tarin thanks her for this by slashing at her with standing elbows until they separate. Kareckaite puts a one-two down the pipe, and she chases after a strafing Tarin with a looping right. Fans start booing the moment the two clinch up, and then stop when the women return to kickboxing range. Tarin stays on the outside popping her jab, and she leans back to avoid a swinging right hand. Kareckaite goes to the lead leg and body with kicks, and she uses her kicks to close in and mash Tarin against the cage wall. The horn sounds.
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tarin Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Tarin Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tarin
Kareckaite takes right to the center of the cage, slowly advancing as Tarin circles to her left. Kareckaite allows her to do this so she can rip a body kick, prompting Tarin to bullrush her with big swings. Kareckaite keeps her foe on her back foot, and Tarin peppers her with kicks to any target she can find. Kareckaite has a right hand score on the end of it, and Tarin backpedals in a hurry. Kareckaite mixes in a takedown attempt, and the Mexican woman stonewalls her and pushes her to the fence, where she delivers a stern knee to the body. Kareckaite jacks her in the jaw with an elbow to break apart, and she chases after the younger woman with long swings. Tarin stays busy on the outside, keeping just out of range of the worst Kareckaite throws at her while offering up kicks to the body and lead leg. They crash together and unload short combinations, and their accuracy is fairly high because their guards are not very attentive.
Their sheer momentum results in clinching, and Kareckaite is leaking from a bloody nose and goes after a single-leg takedown attempt. Tarin frames off with knees to the side, breaking them apart, and she scores several more when Kareckaite tries to walk her down. The Mexican woman takes advantage of the clinch with knees to the body, and she shoves her foe back. Kareckaite answers with a crisp body kick and follows with a right hook. Tarin meets her with a one-two and head kick, and she dances away from what Kareckaite tosses back at her. Kareckaite takes a push kick to load up with a right hand, and she hurls the punch again and again. Tarin watches Kareckaite dart at her for a single, and when Kareckaite transitions to a double, she manages to get the local woman down as the round ends.
It does not take long for the two women to engage in fisticuffs as the last round begins, nailing one another with big swings back and forth. Tarin offers up short but effective combinations, putting two hands on the face and kicking the front leg, etc. When Kareckaite hurls back, Tarin ducks under and grabs her from behind, where she sweeps the leg and briefly drags the Lithuanian to the floor. Kareckaite fights her way back to her feet but Tarin is still clutching her from the side, until Kareckaite muscles her way around to push Tarin to the cage wall. Porrata immediately calls for them to work, leading to them separating and duking it out some more. The exchanges are fairly even in terms of numbers, and Kareckaite appears to be swinging harder. Tarin uses more kicks, digging them to the body and getting Kareckaite’s attention with her fast hands.
Tarin turns on the jets, cracking Kareckaite with a lengthy flurry of fists until Kareckaite has no choice but to tie her up. Tarin pushes her to the wall and knees her in the guts, and Kareckaite frames off and does the same before they split up. Tarin has inflicted additional damage on Kareckaite’s right eye, and no one registers it as they proceed to lay into one another recklessly and ferociously. Tarin’s face begins to swell around her eyes, and Kareckaite targets those areas with her heavy hurls. Kareckaite tries to slow her down with a trip effort, and Tarin slips away and lashes out with uppercuts and knees up close. The 10-second clapper leads to an even more ridiculous brawl, and the two women smash and bash one another in the face repeatedly until time expires. What a scrap, one that ends in the hands of the judges in close rounds where a 30-27 on one end and 29-28 the other would not be out of line.
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Tarin (30-27 Tarin) Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Tarin (30-27 Tarin) Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Tarin (30-27 Tarin)
Regina Tarin def. Ernesta Kareckaite via Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Douglas Silva de Andrade (146) vs. Javier Reyes (145)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Reyes (-240); Silva de Andrade (+190)
A longtime talent at the loaded bantamweight division relocates to 145 pounds as Silva de Andrade (29-6, 1 NC; 7-6 UFC) eclipses the age of 40, on the roster since 2014 but this just his 14th fight. He meets well-traveled newcomer Reyes (22-5, 0-0 UFC), who may have already won the battle for “Entrance of the Year” by dancing his way to the cage with his team to “YMCA.” It was majestic. Referee Herb Dean will stoically serve as the third man in the Octagon, who receives loud cheers from the crowd himself. The two touch do not gloves before throwing down.
The shorter Silva de Andrade stands in the center of the cage like a snake coiled to strike, and Reyes fires off strikes from the outer edge. The Brazilian kicks him from a safe distance, and allows Silva de Andrade to fly past him with a big swing. Reyes leaves his chin up and hands down, and Silva de Andrade just misses with a huge right hook. Reyes calms himself and fires back a left that stuns Silva de Andrade, but he stands in the pocket too long and gets dropped with a bomb of a right hand. Reyes climbs back up, and Silva de Andrade does not recklessly chase him down and instead sets up another bomb. He clips an advancing Reyes with a cheeky left hook, and he marches down the hurt fighter with a barrage. Reyes puts his back to the wall and gets nailed a few more times, and he tries for a spin but misses. Silva de Andrade whiffs with a haymaker so fierce, the wind nearly blows Marc Ratner’s cap off in the first row.
Reyes’ hands remain low so he can strike from odd angles, but Silva de Andrade is headhunting him and connects flush. Reyes runs forward and loads up with a right hand that knocks “D’Silva” off his feet, but it is a flash knockdown as Silva de Andrade defends from the subsequent assault. Reyes pounces to try to pound out his opponent, and he thwarts a roll attempt from Silva de Andrade and mat returns him on his face when Silva de Andrade stands. Reyes steps over to the back to lay into Silva de Andrade, who holds his hand up to wag his finger as if to say he is fine. This opens up an opportunity for Reyes, who very nearly snatches up a submission as OG fight fans think back to the infamous “Hello Japan” moment in our lovely sport. Reyes goes from back mount to full mount to getting pushed off, as he keeps beating on Silva de Andrade like a rented mule. “Blair” flattens Silva de Andrade out on his stomach and slams his fists into the side of his head, and Silva de Andrade keeps wagging his finger to say he is ok. This is not nearly enough defense, as he should instead be guarding his dome rather than signaling to the ref. Dean tells him to fight back, and Silva de Andrade keeps shaking his finger. Reyes does not relent in his onslaught of punches to either side of the head, and Dean calls a halt to the match with a second or two left in the round. When Silva de Andrade stands after the stoppage, he protests to Dean, who likely suggests that he gave the Brazilian every chance to defend himself but threw it away. As he raises a fuss, Silva de Andrade’s face begins to swell horizontally, having taken some serious damage the last two minutes of that round.
Javier Reyes def. Douglas Silva de Andrade R1 4:59 via TKO (Punches)
Kris Moutinho (136) vs. Cristian Quinonez (136)
BETTING PREVIEW | SCOUTING REPORT | ODDS: Quinonez (-650); Moutinho (+475)
In hopes of turning his fortunes around, Quinonez (18-5, 1-2 UFC) will be matched with expectations that he should blow away his opponent and hype up the partisan crowd. With his back against the wall again, Moutinho (14-7, 0-3 UFC) needs to get his hand raised lest he possibly see his walking papers for the second time. The Octagon ranger for this bantamweight contest is referee Marc Goddard, who observes a sporting glove touch between the men.
Quinonez stays calm as he asserts himself in the center of the cage, allowing Moutinho to find his range with a few kicks before unleashing the fury of a couple huge right hands. Moutinho bounces off the wall and recovers, but Quinonez is cocking his right hand back and preparing to hurl it any opportunity he can. Moutinho peppers him from afar, and Quinonez jabs him back much harder. Moutinho scores a glancing right hand as Quinonez circles to the side, and a collision results in a scramble where Quinonez slams Moutinho hard on the mat. Moutinho climbs back upright, only to be mat returned with Quinonez on his back. Moutinho twists in hopes of escaping the controlling position at his back, and Quinonez finds himself in a disadvantageous posture and jumps off.
The two return to their feet, and Quinonez potshots him with distance strikes before being warned for open fists. He slings his heavy right hand, one that bangs into the guard but still has an impact. Moutinho signals to Goddard that he was poked in the eye, and Goddard grumpily calls time and tells Quinonez that there will be no more warnings. Moutinho is good to go in seconds, and Quinonez circles around him in hopes of setting up that right. Moutinho walks him down but takes an elbow on the bridge of his nose that slashes it open, and his counters his nothing but air. Moutinho checks on his hand after landing a heavy blow, and he switches to southpaw. Quinonez is light on his feet springing around, further marking up the damaged beak of his adversary. Quinonez jabs the body with a pair of front kicks to wrap up the round.
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Quinonez Christian Stein scores the round: 10-9 Quinonez Tyler Treese scores the round: 10-9 Quinonez
The fighters are so amped up to start trading, Goddard has to back them off. Moutinho comes out of his corner hot, cracking Quinonez with a speedy barrage. Quinonez does not falter from his approach, strafing to the side, countering and shooting in for a takedown. Moutinho hits his seat from the clean double, and he remains there for a spell until working his way up. Quinonez drags him down from behind, and Moutinho hooks his fingers in the fence to stop it. Goddard tells him to knock it off, and Quinonez wrenches his man to the mat. The third time is the charm for Quinonez, who briefly assumes mount and moves to side control and even north-south for a moment. Moutinho turns to his stomach, and Quinonez smacks him with undercuts—that is, uppercuts beneath the armpit. Moutinho grabs the fence again to pull himself to his feet and keep himself upright, and does so again when Quinonez is wrangling him for a takedown. Goddard, who seemed stern beforehand, just warns Moutinho for grabbing the cage wall four or five times.
The fouls do not discourage Quinonez, who manages to yank Moutinho to the floor and secured back control with a body triangle. Quinonez starts fishing for a rear-naked choke, placing his grip atop the jaw and crushing it down. He changes his submission effort to that of a neck crank, and Moutinho keeps himself safe by pinning his chin to his chest as best he can. Quinonez goes palm-to-palm with his face and neck crank, and Moutinho survives the attempts but finds himself briefly mounted. Moutinho kicks off frantically to get Quinonez off his chest, and the ensuing scramble allows Moutinho to counter with a single-leg attempt. Quinonez lets him back up so that he can peck at the bloody face of his foe, and he lobs two big right hands before the bell.
Between rounds, Moutinho admits to his corner that he is feeling flat, and his team tries all they might to energize him for five more minutes. They do the job effectively, as Moutinho runs towards Quinonez and belts him in the face. Quinonez rebounds off the wall and gets on his bike, dancing from side to side and evading other power punches that Moutinho slings at him. Moutinho tries for a takedown, and Quinonez shuts it down and slips away comfortably. The Mexican flashes his jab, timing his movements to allow Moutinho to close in so he can score a blow or pursue a takedown. “El Nino Problema” hunts for a single, and when he redoubles his effort, he lands it and moves straight into side control. Quinonez goes all the way to the other side so that he can slip into mount, and he drives down a stern elbow in the process.
Moutinho throws his legs up and bucks to force Quinonez back to his feet, and he grabs hold of Quinonez’s left foot for some sort of low-percentage foot lock that goes nowhere. Moutinho transitions to a heel hook attempt, and he scoots himself towards Quinonez to get it tighter. Quinonez slithers his leg out to reclaim top position without concern, and he drops down a few hammerfists before Moutinho snatches his leg up again for a Hail Mary submission. Quinonez practically ignores it and fights back to his feet, and Moutinho desperately goes after a takedown before time is up. Moutinho drops to his seat, exhausted, and Quinonez plops down next to him to share a moment. Moutinho would rather be alone and really anywhere but there, as he pulls Quinonez’ arm off of him.
