UFC Mexico has just wrapped up, and fans witnessed a thoroughly action-packed event take place. Not only were the fights top-tier, but there were also a lot of controversies that emerged during the event. Notably, one seemingly unnoticed mistake was made during the announcement of one of the scorecards.
For those unaware, the UFC returned to Mexico City for the record-highest attendance for an event in Mexico in the company’s history. Live out of the sold-out Mexico City Arena, the event will be remembered by the fans for sure. In the co-main event of the evening, Brian Ortega marked a splendid return with a submission victory over Yair Rodriguez in the rematch.
Nights like these are #EasyToCelebrate 🍻
[ B2YB @BudLight | #UFCMexico ] pic.twitter.com/kGbNKk2egD
— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024
Elsewhere, we also saw Brandon Royval step in on short notice against Brandon Moreno. In what was also a rematch and the main event, ‘Rawdog‘ emerged victorious after an enthralling yet flat contest. As such, former champ Moreno looked off the pace, and Royval was seemingly awarded the win due to his pressure. For the most part, fans expected more from the fighters, especially from Moreno, who is now 2-2 in his last four fights.
Did Bruce Buffer make a mistake at UFC Mexico?
Naturally, there was a whole host of exciting fights on the show. With that said, the event was marred with mistakes and controversies, mostly from the side of the UFC. For one, the crowd, in typical Mexican fashion, decided to get in on the action as well. As such, an all-out brawl ensued during the fight between Yazmin Jauregui and Sam Hughes.
With the Mexican crowd known for their fiery hot temper, better preparations for crowd control should have been made. However, it was not the only occasion the UFC was caught lacking, as announcer Bruce Buffer seemingly caught the bug as well. Following a superb fight between Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado, Buffer made the mistake of announcing the scores as 29-28 x2 and 30-27 instead of 30-26.
It is an easy mistake to make, and even for a seasoned professional like Buffer, it is likely that the rising tensions inside the arena got to him. With that said, further mistakes were made on the broadcast following Brandon Royval’s win. After the scores were read out, Royval’s 16-7 record was shown on a graphic that also stated that he was on a four-fight win streak. However, that is only true without counting his UFC 296 loss to Alexandre Pantoja.
Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado won Fight of the Night
Coming to Daniel Zellhuber and Francisco Prado, we saw a fight that had a lot of drama surrounding it. Placed just before the co-main event of the evening, the fighters got the call to fight earlier than anticipated after Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Ricky Turcios was canceled. Owing to a last-minute illness, Rosas, the fight preceding Zellhuber vs. Prado was canceled. As mentioned previously, the scorecard mishap was also for this fight.
All things considered, Zellhuber vs. Prado was likely the most entertaining fight of the night. Coming into the event, many wondered why two relatively unknown names were on the featured bout. However, when it came to the fight itself, both athletes gave as good as they got. Despite Zellhuber’s sharp shooting, Franciso kept at it, trying to catch his man with a flurry.
All action from start to finish 🔥@GoldenboyZell vs @Fran_Prado_MMA is your #UFCMexico FOTN!
B2YB @ToyoTires pic.twitter.com/rOAwIr7tDQ
— UFC (@ufc) February 25, 2024
By the end of the contest, it was clear that ‘Golden Boy’ had gotten the better of the Argentinian Prado. With that said, the contest was rightfully awarded the Fight of the Night honors. Now the 24-year-old Zellhuber moves to 4-1 in the UFC, whilst 21-year-old Prado sits at 1-2. All things considered, the future is bright for both athletes, having made an excellent case for themselves on Saturday night.