UFC Fight Night Mexico City Official Results

The Ultimate Fighting Championship makes the trip to Mexico City this weekend with a featherweight meeting of striking talents headlining the card, as flashy kicker Yair 'El Pantera' Rodriguez meets knockout artist Jeremy 'Lil Heathen' Stephens at the Mexico City Arena. Former strawweight best Carla 'Cookie Monster' Esparza returned in a co-main event slot against title hopeful and rising contender, Guadalajara native Alexa Grasso.

In the opening Prelim of the night, lightweights Claudio Puelles clashed with Brazil's Marcos Rosa Mariano. Exacting somewhat of a wrestling clinic for the opening two round, Puelles employed some relentless top pressure and kept active with strikes from guard. In a dominant 30-25 unanimous decision, Puelles displayed some impressive wrestling, top control and activity from Mariano's guard.

TUF alumni Sijara Eubanks continued her bantamweight assault next as she met one-time bantamweight title challenger, Bethe Correia. Despite losing the opening round convincingly, Correia rallied and out-worked Eubanks for the final two rounds to pick up a 29-28 unanimous decision to snap her two fight slide.

Grappling aces Vinicius Moreira and late finisher Paul Craig met next in a light heavyweight pairing. Known for his extremely late finishes as of late, Craig managed to secure a stoppage inside the opening four minutes. Dropping Moreira with a couple of knees, Craig locked up a rear-naked choke to grab a somewhat timely finish for his standards.

Flyweight's Sergio Pettis and Octagon debutante Tyson Nam threw down next with former X-1 and Fight Nights Global standout Nam making his promotional debut. Forced to fight from the outside for the majority of the fiftheen minute affair, Pettis stuck out a jab all night to take a quite comfortable 30-27 unanimous decision.

In another promotional bow, Brazilian prospect Ariane Carnelossi met with Angela Hill in a strawweight clash. Dealing with the pressing and pace-pushing style from Carnelossi for the majority of the fight, Hill eventually scored a third round doctor's stoppage after she sliced the Brazilian's left eyebrow with an elbow in the clinch.

Marco Polo Reyes made his featherweight bow after a topsy-turvy lightweight stint against Canadian Kyle Nelson in our penultimate Prelim of the night. Scoring an early stoppage, Nelson broke from an timely clinch attempt and launched a huge right hand, followed by a barrage as referee Jason Herzog jumped to Reyes' rescue.

In the featured Prelim of the night, bantamweight's Jose Alberto Quinonez and Carlos Huachin closed out the early action with a three round back and forth, with Quinonez securing a 30-27 unanimous decision.

A clash 145 pound hopefuls got us underway for the main card action, as Martin Bravo matched up with Steven Peterson. Texas native Peterson was a shoe-in for Knockout of the Night honors, as he executed a stunning spinning back-fist stoppage in the second round.

Originally penned as a bantamweight clash, Irena Aldana vs. Vanessa Melo will be contested at a catchweight of 140 pounds as Melo tipped the scales on Friday morning. On her way to a dominant, one-sided 30-26 unanimous decision display, Aldana threw at a clip of over three-hundred strikes.

In a highly anticipated flyweight clash, Brandon Moreno made his return to the promotion, as he welcomed former ACB talent Askar Askarov. As advertised, we were treated to some hugely entertaining scrambles throughout the three round affair, in a bout judged a 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 split decision draw.

Original strawweight best Carla Esparza and Mexico favorite Alexa Grasso threw down in our co-main event in a pivotal matchup at 115 pounds next. In an immense back-and-forth clash, Esparza narrowly scored a 29-28 majority decision, via the help of multiple successful takedown attempts.

145-pound strikers, hometown hero Yair Rodriguez and Iowa native Jeremy Stephens closed off our action packed event, in disappointing circumstances. Within the opening fifteen seconds of the bout, after the initial exchange, Rodriguez inadvertedley poked Stephens' left eye. With Herb Dean allowing Stephens five minutes to recover, the referee called a halt to the clash after Stephens was ruled unable to continue. Officially ruled a 'No Contest'.