Preview: UFC Mexico ‘Moreno vs. Erceg’

Lightweights

Manuel Torres (15-3, 3-1 UFC) vs. Drew Dober (27-14, 13-10 UFC)

ODDS: Torres (-125), Dober (+105)

Time to get violent. It took a long road to get there, but Dober eventually earned his bona fides as one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. Initially roster fodder, Dober found a groove for a bit as a volume-heavy striker before finding his power circa 2019, at which point he became a particularly entertaining slugger. The gaps in Dober’s game were fairly clear—they centered around his wrestling—but his durability meant he could go toe-to-toe with anyone who looked to trade with him, which in turn made it a worry when Matt Frevola shockingly knocked him out in May 2023. Dober has recovered fine. While he has lost two of his last three, knockout losses haven’t been a problem. He managed to eat punches from Jean Silva for two rounds and change before a cut stoppage ended their fight. That chin figures to get tested once again by Torres, who has only had to go to the second round once in a decade-plus professional career.

Mexico’s Torres is generally a mess—even if he has tightened things up just a bit during his UFC tenure—but that wildness has proven effective, as he kicked off his UFC career with three straight wins, including some brutal knockouts. However, there was the sense that “El Loco” would eventually charge into a loss, which came against Ignacio Bahamondes in September. While Torres has now found his ceiling, he should continue to be a reliable bet for some exciting fights in the UFC over the next few years. As far as this one goes, Dober should be able to take what Torres dishes out. The pick is Dober via first-round knockout.

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Moreno vs. Erceg
Torres vs. Dober
Pyfer vs. Gastelum
Rosas Jr. vs. Morales
Martinez vs. Oliveira
Rodriguez vs. Borjas
The Prelims