The UFC returns to Mexico City on Saturday with a card full of strong matchups on Fox Sports 1. In the main event, former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos looks to get back on track against the surging Tony Ferguson in a firecracker of a bout with real implications for the title situation in a wide-open division.
The rest of the main card is no less intriguing. The veteran Diego Sanchez takes on the newly acquired Marcin Held in a solid lightweight fight that’s something of a last stand for the venerable winner of the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. Ricardo Lamas, quickly rebooked from his canceled bout with BJ Penn, draws action fighter Charles Oliveira in a strong featherweight bout.
The lightweight scrap between Beneil Dariush and Rashid Magomedov is another excellent fight, as both rising 155-pounders look to make their case for a Top 10 opponent in their next bout. The lightweight final of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America 3 also graces the main card, and it has the makings of a fun fight between a pair of talented youngsters.
Alexa Grasso could steal the show, though. The native of Guadalajara has made a name for herself as a strawweight in Invicta FC and opens the main card in a showcase bout against Heather Clark. Once she nabs a couple of wins, Grasso has the right combination of skills and personality to be a UFC star.
The preliminary card is mostly forgettable. A bantamweight bout between Erik Perez and Felipe Arantes is the only thing with name value on the Fox Sports 1 portion, while the middleweight fight featuring Sam Alvey and Alex Nicholson offers some interest on Fight Pass.
Let’s take a look at each matchup.