There is no better way to depict Mexico's growing importance to UFC than to point out the success of the competition's Fight Night 98 event in Mexico City last Saturday. A number of Mexican-born and Mexican-American fighters dominated the card. Tony Ferguson, whose roots trace back to the state of Guanajuato, came away victorious in the main fight against Brazil's Rafael dos Anjos.
The event continued a trend of allowing Mexico to host, with UFC 180 and UFC 188 also held in the country in the past two years. Fight Night 98, the fourth UFC event to be held in Mexico, also punctuated the growing number of Mexican athletes being welcomed into the league. Top prospect Alexa Grasso, who won her debut match, became only the second Mexican woman in the history of UFC. Grasso and lightweight Martín Bravo became the 26th and 27th Mexican-born fighters in the promotion's 23-year history.
There are currently 17 Mexican-born mixed martial artists in the UFC, including two women. On Saturday, seven of those on the active roster competed, with four winning in front of the home crowd. Of the 27 Mexican-born fighters who have competed in the UFC, 21 have fought in the past 12 months.
Of those within the current Mexican region, four hail from Tijuana, a city known for its consistent development of pros within combat sports. Previously known for its prowess in exporting boxing stars, the border city is now creating avenues for MMA fighters to reach the top. Of the current crop, Bravo, flyweight Brandon Moreno, bantamweight Henry Briones and featherweight Gabriel Benítez all have ties to Tijuana.
Regardless of where they come from, Mexico's numbers are notable and would certainly be expanded if American-born fighters with Mexican heritage were included in the equation. Currently, there's a touch of dispute about the origin of some fighters. Though many Mexican outlets list Tony Ferguson as being born in Guanajuato, Mexico, the UFC lists him as being born in the United States, as do multiple other sources.
On the flip side, welterweight Héctor Urbina fights out of Muncie, Indiana, according to the UFC website, but is listed as being born in Monterrey, Mexico. Other sources list Urbina as hailing from the United States.
With an expanding crop of fighters and further commitment from the UFC to bring events to the country (Mexico is behind only Canada, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Japan as the foreign nation with the most hosting duties), the country's growth within the sport positions it as a fertile market for international expansion.
CURRENT UFC FIGHTERS BORN IN MEXICO
Alejandro Pérez, bantamweight
Alexa Grasso, women's strawweight
Álvaro Herrera, welterweight
Augusto Montaño, welterweight
Brandon Moreno, flyweight
Erick Montaño, welterweight
Erik Pérez, bantamweight
Gabriel Benítez, featherweight
Henry Briones, bantamweight
Héctor Sandoval, flyweight
Héctor Urbina, welterweight*
Jessica Aguilar, women's strawweight
Jose Alberto Quiñonez, bantamweight
Marco Beltrán, bantamweight
Marco Polo Reyes, lightweight
Martín Bravo, lightweight
Yair Rodríguez, featherweight
* Urbina's birthplace is disputed, but the UFC lists him as being born in Mexico.