Mexican UFC Fighters: Top 12 South-Of-The-Border Contenders
Contents
- The Best Mexican UFC Fighters You Should Know
- 1. Nick Diaz
- 2. Dominick Cruz
- 3. Tito Ortiz
- 4. Brandon Moreno
- 5. Carlos Condit
- 6. Anthony Pettis
- 7. Cain Velasquez
- 8. Henry Cejudo
- 9. Nate Diaz
- 10. Tony Ferguson
- 11. Gilbert Melendez
- 12. Alejandro Perez
- Watch This!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is MMA big in Mexico?
- Are there any Mexican UFC champions?
- Conclusion
- Sources
Photo by Haribhagirath, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mexico is known for its beaches, culture, food and history. In sports, soccer, boxing and baseball are among the most popular. Mixed martial arts has a smaller following there than boxing.
However…
Mexico and the Mexican-American community have still produced some of the best fighters in the sport. This list includes Mexican-born fighters and US-born fighters of Mexican heritage.
The Best Mexican UFC Fighters You Should Know
1. Nick Diaz
Photo by Bhenricksen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Nick Diaz, a Mexican-American from Stockton, California, is one of the most popular fighters of his era. He is a former Strikeforce welterweight champion and challenged Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title in 2013.
In 2015, the Nevada State Athletic Commission suspended him for five years and fined him $165,000 after a failed drug test for marijuana. The penalty was later reduced.
He returned to the UFC at UFC 266 in September 2021 for a rematch with Robbie Lawler. Diaz was knocked down in the third round and chose not to get back up, ending the fight.
Diaz is known for his boxing and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He holds a black belt under Cesar Gracie.
2. Dominick Cruz
Photo by Ryan McKinnell, http://www.examiner.com/mma-in-national/ryan-mckinnell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Dominick Cruz was born and raised in the United States and is of Mexican descent, which earns him a spot on this list.
He is known for his unusual footwork and angles. Cruz is a two-time UFC bantamweight champion and was the last WEC bantamweight champion.
Many UFC fans also remember his loss to Marlon Vera at UFC San Diego in 2022, where a head kick ended the fight in the fourth round.
Cruz is also a well-regarded commentator, praised for his detailed breakdowns of fighting styles.
3. Tito Ortiz
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Like many fighters on this list, Tito Ortiz was born and raised in the United States. His father is Mexican, and Ortiz has often spoken about his Mexican heritage.
Known as "The Huntington Beach Bad Boy," Ortiz is a former UFC light heavyweight champion and a UFC Hall of Famer, known for his wrestling and ground-and-pound. He also fought for Bellator MMA late in his career.
Outside the cage, Ortiz has done some acting. He was elected to the Huntington Beach City Council in 2020, served as mayor pro tempore, and resigned in 2021.
4. Brandon Moreno
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"The Assassin Baby," Brandon Moreno, is perhaps the most popular fighter on this list. From Tijuana, he became the first native of Mexico to win a UFC title.
Moreno's first fight with Deiveson Figueiredo, a five-round title fight in December 2020, ended in a draw. In the rematch at UFC 263 in June 2021, Moreno won the flyweight title by submission.
The two fought four times in all. Moreno later lost the title back to Figueiredo, won the interim belt, and then regained the undisputed title at UFC 283 in January 2023.
5. Carlos Condit
Known as "The Natural Born Killer," Carlos Condit lives up to his nickname. He finished most of his wins by knockout or submission.
Condit is known for his toughness and his willingness to fight through bad moments.
Before joining the UFC, he was the WEC welterweight champion.
He won the UFC interim welterweight title by beating Nick Diaz in 2012. One of his most memorable fights was his title unification bout with Georges St-Pierre later that year. He put GSP down with a head kick, but St-Pierre recovered and won the decision.
6. Anthony Pettis
Anthony Pettis is a former UFC lightweight champion and the last WEC lightweight champion.
He is famous for the "Showtime kick," a kick off the cage that dropped Benson Henderson in their 2010 WEC title fight. Pettis later beat Henderson again to win the UFC title in 2013.
He has since fought in the PFL and in boxing.
7. Cain Velasquez
Photo by The Doppelganger (talk) (Adam Etheridge), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
When it comes to Mexican heritage in MMA history, Cain Velasquez is a name you can't skip.
Velasquez is a two-time UFC heavyweight champion. He finished most of his wins by knockout or technical knockout.
His "Brown Pride" chest tattoo shows how proud he is of his Mexican roots, even though he was born and raised in the United States.
Many fans rank him among the best heavyweights of his era, although injuries cut into his career. His best wins include Brock Lesnar, Junior dos Santos, and Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva.
8. Henry Cejudo
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Henry "The Messenger" Cejudo was born in Los Angeles to Mexican immigrant parents.
He is one of the few fighters to hold UFC titles in two divisions at the same time. He held the flyweight and bantamweight titles together in 2019.
He is also the only fighter to win both an Olympic gold medal and a UFC title. He won his gold medal in freestyle wrestling at the 2008 Beijing Games.
In January 2019, he defended his flyweight title by stopping bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in 32 seconds. He then won the vacant bantamweight title by beating Marlon Moraes.
Cejudo jokingly calls himself the "King of Cringe," a nod to his awkward public stunts. That doesn't change the fact that he is one of the best fighters in MMA history.
9. Nate Diaz
Photo by Bhenricksen, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
The younger brother of Nick Diaz, Nate Diaz, proves that fighting runs in the family. He is known for his boxing and his jiu-jitsu, and many of his wins came by submission.
He never won a UFC title, but he became one of the sport's biggest stars. He fought Conor McGregor twice, submitting him at UFC 196 in 2016 and losing a close decision in the rematch at UFC 202.
The Stockton slap is one of his trademarks. Nate became famous for slapping opponents mid-fight.
10. Tony Ferguson
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Tony "El Cucuy" Ferguson won The Ultimate Fighter season 13 and later became the UFC interim lightweight champion in 2017.
He put together a 12-fight UFC winning streak, one of the longest in lightweight history. Many fans saw him as one of the most dangerous fighters in the division.
Anthony Pettis, Kevin Lee, Donald Cerrone, and Rafael dos Anjos were among the notable fighters he beat during that run.
His planned fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov was canceled five times because of injuries and other problems, so the matchup fans wanted never happened.
11. Gilbert Melendez
Photo by https://www.flickr.com/photos/acidhelm/ (Michael Dunn), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
He might not be as famous as the others on this list, but Gilbert "El Niño" Melendez is another fighter proud of his Mexican heritage.
He wrestled in high school before moving into mixed martial arts.
Melendez was the Strikeforce lightweight champion before the UFC absorbed that promotion. In his UFC debut in 2013, he fought Benson Henderson for the lightweight title and lost by split decision.
12. Alejandro Perez
Wrapping up our list is Alejandro "Turbo" Perez, a Mexican bantamweight.
He turned pro as a teenager and competed for regional promotions across Mexico. In 2014, he won the first season of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America by unanimous decision in the bantamweight final, which earned him his UFC contract.
Knock-Out Point: There are a few wrestlers who also made a name in the UFC. Get to know them here -- Best Wrestlers In UFC.
Watch This!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MMA big in Mexico?
It is growing, but it is still far behind boxing. According to Bleacher Report, one reason MMA was slow to catch on is limited exposure to grappling, with few schools and resources. For years, few Mexican-born fighters (as opposed to Mexican-Americans) reached the upper UFC ranks, though that has changed in recent years.
Are there any Mexican UFC champions?
Yes. Brandon Moreno became the first Mexican-born UFC champion when he submitted Deiveson Figueiredo in the third round at UFC 263 in 2021.
Alexa Grasso, from Guadalajara, won the women's flyweight title by submitting Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 285 in 2023. Yair Rodriguez also won the interim featherweight title in 2023.
Conclusion
Mexico is one of the top boxing countries in the world, and MMA is catching up. Moreno, Grasso and a long line of Mexican-American fighters show how much talent comes from Mexico and its diaspora.
Are there other Mexicans that deserve a mention when talking about the best UFC fighters? Make sure to leave a comment below.
