UFC Mexico Predictions: Moreno vs. Royval 2 Prelims Picks & Odds

These UFC Mexico: Moreno vs. Royval 2 prelims predictions and best bets are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sportsbooks, offering a variety of options from the UFC to the NFL and everything in between.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Mexico City in just over 24 hours for UFC Mexico, live from Arena CDMX. The exciting night will be headlined by a flyweight fight between Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval, who previously collided at UFC 255.

#UFCMexico is going down THIS Saturday ??

Brandon Moreno vs @BrandonRoyval

Who do you think will come out on top? pic.twitter.com/pUNd2mqe5c

— UFC (@ufc) February 23, 2024

Having said that, the betting excitement isn’t only limited to the main event. After all, the preliminary card also boasts its fair share of enticing wagers that you won’t want to miss.

Betting News is back to help with your early fight bets, so let’s dive into my UFC Mexico prelim predictions and picks for Saturday night.

2024 UFC Prelims Best Bet Record: 6-15-1

UFC Mexico Predictions: Moreno vs. Royval 2 Prelims Odds & Picks

The UFC Mexico preliminary card odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Friday, Feb. 23 at 10:16 a.m.

Cristian Quinonez vs. Raoni Barcelos Prediction — Welterweight

• Cristian Quinonez (+143)
• Raoni Barcelos (-163)

Cristian Quinonez (18-4) saw his five-fight winning streak come to an end with a submission loss to Kyung Ho Kang at UFC on ESPN 47. He now looks to turn things around against Raoni Barcelos (17-5), who’s tasted defeat in four of his last five outings.

Although it might seem tough to trust Barcelos due to his recent run, I’m taking him to win on Saturday. It took only one takedown and submission attempt for Quinonez to lose to Kang and things don’t look promising this time around seeing as how Barcelos averages 1.80 takedowns (with 37% accuracy) and 0.4 submissions per 15 minutes.

Additionally, Barcelos has better cardio and more experience in lengthier fights, meaning it’s more likely that he’ll emerge victorious if this fight goes the distance. With that in mind, back the favorite to win via points.

Quinonez vs Barcelos Pick: Raoni Barcelos via Points (+250)

Jesus Aguilar vs. Mateus Mendonca Prediction — Flyweight

#UFCMexico weigh-in results: Mateus Mendonca – (126)

Full coverage: https://t.co/kWQSj0vsKc pic.twitter.com/O6gImDPOyo

— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 23, 2024

• Jesus Aguilar (+110)
• Mateus Mendonca (-130)

After losing his debut, Jesus Aguilar (9-2) got back into the win column with a KO victory over Shannon Ross last July. Meanwhile, Mateus Mendonca (10-2) hopes to avoid a third straight loss after falling to Nathan Maness via first-round TKO four months ago.

Mendonca is a solid prospect, but it’s hard to trust him after back-to-back losses. Meanwhile, Aguilar is hungry for more success after KO’ing Ross and has the advantage of this fight taking place in his home country of Mexico.

Don’t be surprised if Aguilar’s superior wrestling skills pave the road to an upset win.

Aguilar vs Mendonca Pick: Aguilar ML (+110)

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Edgar Chairez vs. Daniel Lacerda Prediction — Flyweight

• Edgar Chairez (-515)
• Daniel Lacerda (+390)

This UFC Mexico bout is a rematch after Edgar Chairez (10-5, 1NC) and Daniel Lacerda (11-5, 1NC) previously clashed at Noche UFC. Their first bout ended in a no-contest after the referee prematurely called for the bell after assuming that Lacerda had passed out in a guillotine hold.

It’s easy to back Chairez after how he dominated Lacerda in their first meeting, landing 12 significant strikes with 20% accuracy in less than four minutes. The favorite is also rightfully pissed off about how the initial bout ended, so expect him to use that as motivation to put Lacerda down for good this time.

Considering how Lacerda potentially would’ve tapped if not for the referee’s mistake, let’s take Chairez to emerge victorious via submission this weekend.

Chairez vs Lacerda Pick: Edgar Chairez vis Submission (+195)

Claudio Puelles vs. Fares Ziam Prediction — Lightweight

• Claudio Puelles (+170)
• Fares Ziam (-195)

Claudio Puelles (12-3) has been on a roll lately but saw his momentum come to an end with a TKO loss to Dan Hooker at UFC 281. On the flip side, Fares Ziam (14-4) enters UFC Mexico following back-to-back unanimous decision victories over Michal Figlak and Jai Herbert.

Puelles might be the better grappler of the two, but Ziam has advantages when it comes to both size and recent results. It’s also worth noting that Puelles hasn’t fought in nearly 15 months, so it remains to be seen how rusty he is.

Ziam rarely finishes his opponents though, so I expect him to win via points. It’s been nearly three years since Puelles went the distance and being productive across three rounds might be difficult given his recent hiatus.

Puelles vs Ziam Pick: Fares Ziam via Points (+170)

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UFC Mexico Predictions: Moreno vs. Royval 2 Prelim Picks Cont.

Luis Rodriguez vs. Denys Bondar Prediction — Flyweight

• Luis Rodriguez (-110)
• Denys Bondar (-110)

Luis Rodriguez (16-2) is set to make his debut at UFC Mexico as he rides a five-fight winning streak. It remains to be seen if he can build more momentum against Denys Bondar (14-4), who’s coming off a technical decision loss to Carlos Hernandez last summer.

I won’t overthink this fight, so let’s fade Bondar after beginning his UFC stint with a 0-2 record. He just isn’t cutting it at MMA’s top level, whereas Rodriguez will be determined to win in front of his home crowd after finishing six of his last nine opponents.

Considering how oddsmakers see this fight going either way, there’s no shame in backing Rodriguez outright on the moneyline as the best bet. If you’re feeling spicy, though, taking “Lazy Boy” to win inside the distance is also viable given Bondar’s recent struggles.

Rodriguez vs Bondar Pick: Luis Rodriguez ML (-110) or Rodriguez to Win Inside the Distance (+260)

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Victor Altamirano vs. Felipe dos Santos Prediction — Flyweight

"The importance of making sure that you're not just consistent but your effort is consistent, always at a high level."

Victor Altamirano talks his key takeaways from camp ahead of his bout against Felipe dos Santos at #UFCMexico ??

Card preview ➡️: https://t.co/bvI4KZd2O7

— UFC News (@UFCNews) February 22, 2024

• Victor Altamirano (+245)
• Felipe dos Santos (-290)

Victor Altamirano (12-3) dropped to 2-2 in his UFC run with a unanimous decision loss to Tim Elliott back in June. He looks to turn things around against Felipe dos Santos (7-1, 1 NC), who lost to Manel Kape (via points) in his debut at UFC 293.

Although dos Santos is the heavy favorite, I see Altamirano notching the upset. The Fort Worth, TX native is the more accurate striker (57% vs. 32%) of the two flyweights and absorbs nearly half as many significant strikes per minute (3.99 vs. 7.47) with better defense (53% vs. 38%) than his counterpart. He’s also better at controlling the fight, whereas dos Santos was only in control for eight seconds against Kape.

I expect Altamirano to weather dos Santos’ storm, tiring out the younger competitor before emerging with the upset win. How it happens doesn’t matter, but some form of decision is my prediction.

Alamirano vs Dos Santos Pick: Victor Altamirano ML (+245)

Erik Silva vs. Muhammad Naimov Prediction — Featherweight

• Erik Silva (+400)
• Muhammad Naimov (-550)

Muhammad Naimov (10-2) was successful in his featherweight debut at UFC 294, defeating Nathaniel Wood via unanimous decision. He aims for a consecutive victory when he steps into the octagon with Erik Silva (9-2), who was submitted by T.J. Brown in his UFC debut back in December 2022.

I just don’t see an upset occurring at UFC Mexico. Silva hasn’t fought in over a year and now must face Naimov, who’s coming off back-to-back wins over Wood and Jamie Mullarkey, who are no slouches in the cage. I fully expect a one-sided affair come Saturday.

Silva’s fights are usually balls-to-the-wall and don’t last long, so I’m predicting Naimov to win via KO/TKO. He has a pair of knockout wins in his last three fights and certainly has the striking battle to outclass Silva.

Silva vs Naimov Pick: Muhammad Naimov via KO/TKO (+175)

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UFC Mexico Preview FAQ

When is UFC Mexico?

• UFC Mexico will take place on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024.

Where is UFC Mexico?

• UFC Mexico will take place at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico.

What time does UFC Mexico start?

• UFC Fight Night 237 Preliminary Card Start Time: 7 p.m. ET
• UFC Fight Night 237 Main Card Start Time: 10 p.m. ET

How can I watch UFC Mexico?

• UFC Fight Night 237 Preliminary Card Channel: ESPN+
• UFC Fight Night 237 Main Card Channel: ESPN+

How can I bet on UFC Mexico?

• All of the top online sports betting sites will have UFC Mexico odds, but here are some of the sites we recommend most for UFC betting enthusiasts.

• Trusted Online Sportsbooks
• BetOnline Sportsbook Review »
• SportsBetting Sportsbook Review »
• Bovada Sportsbook Review »
• SportBet Sportsbook Review »
• BetWhale Sportsbook Review »
• MyBookie Sportsbook Review »
• BetUS Sportsbook Review »
• BetDSI Sportsbook Review »
• Everygame Sportsbook Review »
• Bookmaker Sportsbook Review »
• WagerWeb Sportsbook Review »

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