The UFC returns to Mexico City on Saturday for the first time in more than four years for a loaded UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 card that features former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno taking on recent title challenger Brandon Royval. Their five-round showdown tops the main UFC fight card starting at 10 p.m. ET from Arena CDMX in Mexico City. The last time the UFC visited Mexico City was in September 2019 for a Fight Night that saw its main event between Jeremy Stephens and Yair Rodriguez declared a no-contest 15 seconds into the first round because of an accidental foul. On Saturday, the winner between the top-ranked Moreno and No. 3-ranked Royval will become the frontrunner to face champion Alexandre Pantoja for the flyweight belt.
Moreno is a -270 favorite (risk $270 to win $100), while Royval is priced at +220 in the latest UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 odds. In the co-main event, ranked bantamweight contenders meet as Yair Rodriguez (-165) takes on Brian Ortega (+135). Before locking in your picks for UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2, make sure you see the MMA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine analyst Kyle Marley.
Marley won the first-ever “ToutMaster” UFC betting contest sponsored by MMAOddsBreaker and appears regularly on multiple MMA betting and daily Fantasy shows. He watches every single fight for every professional MMA card and does extensive research before each event.
Over the past five years, $100 bettors who have followed Marley’s picks are up nearly $11,000. Just two weeks ago at UFC Fight Night, Marley advised SportsLine members to back underdog Jack Hermansson (+220) against rising prospect Joe Pyfer (-275) in the middleweight main event. Hermansson won a unanimous decision to give Marley’s followers an easy winner. Anyone who has followed him has seen massive returns.
Now, with UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 on deck, Marley has studied the card from top to bottom and revealed his top UFC predictions. Those picks are available at SportsLine.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 preview
The main event Saturday is a rematch from November 2020 that left a sour taste for both fighters, particularly Royval. The flyweight contenders engaged in a nonstop battle that saw both come close to fight-finishing sequences before the other countered with his own barrage.
Near the end of the first round, Royval suffered a shoulder injury that left him unable to continue and Moreno was awarded the victory via technical knockout. Both fighters have since proven to be among the division’s elite.
Moreno (21-7-1) went on to become a two-time champion behind his memorable four-fight rivalry with former champion Deiveson Figueiredo that saw the 30-year-old Mexico native go 2-1-1 and emerge as one of the promotion’s most popular champions.
However, both of Moreno’s stints as champion have been short-lived. He came out on the short end of a close decision in December against Pantoja, against whom he is now 0-3. Coincidentally, Pantoja’s first defense came in a decision victory last December against Royval, who was making his first title-fight appearance.
Royval (15-7) is a former Legacy Fighting Alliance champion whose UFC tenure has been marked by wild fights and fast finishes. The 31-year-old Denver native has gone 5-3 in eight UFC appearances with all but two of those fights decided inside of two rounds.
This profile speaks to his dangerous but volatile style that has proven Royval can defeat any opponent on any given day, but his risk-heavy style also has the potential to backfire. See all of Marley’s UFC Fight Night picks here.
UFC Fight Night predictions
We’ll share one of Marley’s UFC Fight Night selections here: He is going with Claudio Puelles (+180) to spring the upset of Fares Ziam (-220) in a battle of lightweight prospects on the preliminary card.
Puelles (12-3) is a grappling specialist who has seen three of his five UFC wins come by submission. But the prospect saw his five-fight winning streak halted by a stoppage loss to journeyman slugger Dan Hooker in his last appearance.
Ziam (14-4) is a versatile fighter who has seen all four of his UFC victories come by decision. He enters Saturday on a two-fight winning streak following a decision over veteran Jai Herbert last July.
“If Puelles can land takedowns, Ziam could be in trouble. At these odds, I like the value on the underdog,” Marley told SportsLine. See who else to pick here.
How to make UFC Fight Night picks
Marley also has strong picks for Moreno vs. Royval and every other bout on the UFC Fight Night card. He’s also backing a combatant who “is the better and more dangerous striker” to emerge with a huge victory. Those picks are only available at SportsLine.
Who wins UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2, and how exactly does each fight end? Visit SportsLine now to get detailed picks on every fight at UFC Fight Night, all from the seasoned expert who’s up nearly $11,000 on MMA in the past four years, and find out.
UFC Fight Night odds, fight card
See full UFC Fight Night picks, predictions, best bets here.
Brandon Moreno (-270) vs. Brandon Royval (+220)
Brian Ortega (+135) vs. Yair Rodriguez (-165)
Daniel Zellhuber (-275) vs. Francisco Prado (+225)
Raul Rosas (-260) vs. Ricky Turcios (+210)
Yazmin Jaregui (-530) vs. Sam Hughes (+400)
Raoni Barcelos (-175) vs. Christian Quinonez (+145)
Edgar Chairez (-355) vs. Daniel Lacerda (+280)
Fares Ziam (-220) vs. Claudio Puelles (+180)
Muhammad Naimov (-330) vs. Erik Silva (+285)
Felipe Dos Santos (-295) vs. Victor Altamirano (+240)
