Storylines: UFC Fight Night 237

Wiggle room has all but disappeared for Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval.

The two longtime contenders find themselves stuck in a crowded line behind current Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweight titleholder Alexandre Pantoja—a man to whom they have both lost twice—as they move toward their rematch in the UFC Fight Night 237 headliner this Saturday at Mexico City Arena. Neither man can afford another backward step in the 125-pound weight class. Moreno has compiled a 10-4-2 record across his 16 appearances inside the Octagon and held the undisputed flyweight crown from June 12, 2021 to Jan. 22, 2022 and again from Jan. 22, 2023 to July 8, 2023. Royval, meanwhile, has rattled off three victories across his past four outings, keeping himself near the top of the flyweight totem pole. A onetime Legacy Fighting Alliance champion, the Factory X export succumbed to first-round punches from Moreno in their first encounter at UFC 255 in 2020.

The Moreno-Royval showdown and its resulting fallout at 125 pounds is but one storyline to watch at UFC Fight Night 237. Here are four more:

Question Marks

Nearly 600 days have passed since Brian Ortega last strapped on the gloves, and more than three years have gone by since he last posted a victory. Uncertainty shrouds his pending return, as he sets his sights on a rematch with “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America” winner Yair Rodriguez in the co-main event. Once the No. 1 contender in the featherweight division, Ortega has been pushed out of view by injury-induced inactivity. The Rener Gracie-trained Brazilian jiu-jitsu back belt last fought at UFC on ABC 3, where a dislocated shoulder resulted in a technical knockout loss to Rodriguez on July 16, 2022. Now 33 and with the mileage of all-out wars against Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski still on the odometer, Ortega’s time may be running short. On the other side of the equation, Rodriguez remains one of the sport’s most dynamic martial artists. He last competed on July 8, when he bowed to third-round punches from Volkanovski and failed in his bid to claim the undisputed featherweight title at UFC 290. Which contender will start another climb at 145 pounds?

Youth Movement

Tempered optimism surrounds Raul Rosas Jr., a prospect who will not celebrate his 20th birthday for another seven months. Spawned by Dana White’s Contender Series in 2022, the 19-year-old carries a 2-1 UFC record into his bantamweight showcase opposite Ricky Turcios. Rojas Jr. rebounded from his first professional defeat in September, when he needed just 54 seconds to bury Terrence Mitchell with punches at UFC Fight Night 227. Seven of his first eight wins have resulted in finishes, five of them via submission. Because of his age and inexperience, the Rojas Jr. ceiling remains a topic of debate. Team Alpha Male’s Turcios, 30, should provide a stern challenge. “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 29 winner has won three of his past four bouts, a unanimous decision loss to Aiemann Zahabi the only hiccup. Perhaps more importantly, Turcios has never been submitted in his 15-fight career. Can Rosas Jr. pass his latest test and continue his upward trajectory?

Comeback Trail

A first brush with failure can whip the winds of change into a revelatory frenzy. Into just such a position steps Yazmin Jauregui, as she collides with Sam Hughes in a three-round women’s strawweight feature. Jauregui started her career a perfect 10-0 with seven wins via stoppage, only to get knocked off the rails by Denise Gomes in a stunning 20-second knockout at UFC 290 in July. The 24-year-old Entram Gym standout now gets an opportunity to show her resilience in a bounce-back assignment. Hughes, meanwhile, seems to have found her footing inside the Octagon. The Fortis MMA product has rebounded from a three-fight losing streak to post victories in three of her past four starts. Hughes, 31, last suited up at UFC 287, where she took a three-round unanimous decision from Jaqueline Amorim on April 8. Will the highly regarded Jaurequi find a way to put adversity in the rearview mirror?

Last Stand

Raoni Barcelos was thought of as a potential dark horse when he joined the UFC roster in 2018, and consecutive victories over Kurt Holobaugh, Chris Gutierrez, Carlos Huachin, Said Nurmagomedov and Khalid Taha only enhanced the intrigue. However, his fortunes went south in a hurry. The former Resurrection Fighting Alliance and Shooto Brazil titleholder’s job could conceivably be on the line when he confronts Cristian Quinonez in an undercard battle at 135 pounds. Barcelos, 36, steps back into the spotlight on the heels of back-to-back losses to Umar Nurmagomedov and Kyler Phillips, the ice under his feet having thinned alarmingly. On the other side of the docket, Quinonez looks to recapture lost momentum. His five-fight winning streak grinded to a halt in June, when he submitted to a first-round rear-naked choke from Kyung Ho Kang at UFC on ESPN 47. Does Barcelos have enough left in the tank to turn back the clock?