Boxing Hall of Famer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. walked to the Octagon with one of the biggest stars of UFC Mexico City.
UFC flyweight Ronaldo Rodriguez had a weighty walkout at UFC Mexico City ahead of his fight with Kevin Borjas to kick off the main card. Rodriguez’s full corner accompanied him to the Octagon in front of a loud crowd at the arena, but boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. drew the biggest reaction from the fans.
Rodriguez made his return to the Octagon at UFC Mexico City after cementing himself as a rising star at UFC 306 in September. Rodriguez capped off a lengthy win streak by putting on a dominant performance against Ode Osbourne, defeating the veteran by unanimous decision.
The anticipation for Rodriguez’s UFC Mexico City return was immense, especially fighting in his home country and on another major platform. But the fans didn’t expect Chavez, a national hero, to be a part of Rodriguez’s big showcase fight.
Julio Cesar Chavez accompanied Ronaldo Rodriguez during UFC Mexico City walkout
Chavez, who had an Octagonside seat at UFC Mexico City, worked with Rodriguez a few times leading up to his UFC return. Chavez is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time after a legendary career spanning decades.
While Rodriguez had the ‘pomp and circumstance’ during his walkout, the result of his fight didn’t go according to plan.
Borjas, a Peruvian powerhouse, gave Rodriguez one of the biggest shocks of his career at UFC Mexico City. He dropped Rodriguez early in the fight and nearly had him on the edge of being knocked out numerous times, but Rodriguez was able to make it the full three-round distance.
While Rodriguez rallied with a late surge in Round 3, Borjas walked away with the unanimous decision win to earn his first UFC victory. Borjas earned a shot in the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.
While in attendance at UFC Mexico City, Chavez met UFC superstar Alex Pereira, who was cageside just weeks after his loss at UFC 313. Pereira lost to Magomed Ankalaev by unanimous decision but is expected to get an immediate rematch later this year.
- READ MORE: UFC announce Noche 3 location after $20 million show to celebrate last Mexican Independence Day
Brandon Moreno made a strong case for a title shot at UFC Mexico City
In the UFC Mexico City main event, Brandon Moreno notched his second-straight win by outpointing Steve Erceg by unanimous decision. Moreno, who is 0-2 all-time against UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja, made a strong case for a title shot with his performance.
Pantoja is expected to return later this year, potentially for UFC 316 in Newark, although nothing is official as of this writing. Manel Kape and Kai Kara-France are two names in the mix for Pantoja’s next title challenger.
The UFC Mexico City co-main event saw Manuel Torres defeat Drew Dober by first-round TKO. Despite Dober’s immediate protest, Torres walked away with another big win to move closer to the lightweight Top 15.
A middleweight matchup between Joe Pyfer and Kelvin Gastelum was scratched just hours before UFC Mexico City after Pyfer suffered an illness on Friday following the ceremonial weigh-in. The fight could potentially be rescheduled for sometime next month.