UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | November 12, 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs. Royval 2 (also referred to as UFC Fight Night 237 and UFC on ESPN+ 95) was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on February 24, 2024, hosted at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.
Background
This event marked the sixth occasion that the promotion held a show in Mexico City and was its first return to the city since September 2019.
Originally, a flyweight matchup scheduled as a five-round co-main event featured former two-time Flyweight Champion Brandon Moreno against Amir Albazi. However, Albazi withdrew due to a neck injury and was replaced by former title contender and ex-LFA Flyweight Champion Brandon Royval. Moreno and Royval had previously clashed at UFC 255 in November 2020, where Moreno secured a first-round TKO victory. The bout between Moreno and Albazi has been rescheduled to headline an event in November 2024.
The featherweight co-main event was a rematch between former interim Featherweight Champion and winner of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America Yair Rodríguez and former title challenger Brian Ortega. This encounter represented the sixth instance of a non-title, non-main event fight being contested over five rounds. Their initial meeting ended with Rodríguez achieving a first-round TKO victory due to an injury to Ortega’s shoulder.
A flyweight rematch between Edgar Chairez and Daniel Lacerda took place after their first September 2023 fight was declared a no-contest because of an officiating error. A planned subsequent rematch was canceled owing to medical concerns affecting Lacerda. At this event, both fighters failed to make weight, resulting in a catchweight bout accompanied by financial penalties.
A bantamweight contest between promising prospect Raul Rosas Jr. and The Ultimate Fighter 29 bantamweight champion Ricky Turcios was scheduled but called off shortly before the event due to illness suffered by Rosas Jr. Initially postponed to the following week, the fight was ultimately removed from the promotion’s schedule.
Bonus awards
The following competitors received $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Francisco Prado
- Performance of the Night: Brian Ortega and Manuel Torres