An Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) debut can only happen once.
Six rookies entered the Octagon this weekend (Saturday, February 28, 2026) at UFC Mexico City, Mexico, inside Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico. The promotion’s latest group of rookies went on to an impressive 5-1 record, with several scoring violent finishes.
Now that the dust has settled, let’s hand out the grades.
The only newcomer on the Paramount+ streaming main card is Imanol Rodriguez … And there’s a reason for that. He’s extremely aggressive and a really high upside prospect.
But things almost went sideways. Kevin Borjas He hit him with a clean counter left hook that seriously injured Rodriguez. The Mexican’s debut seemed destined to end in disaster. Instead, Rodriguez secured a timely takedown and survived the round to reset.
Round 2 was vintage Rodriguez. After a cautious start, he dropped Borjas with a right hand to the temple and sprinted for the finish (see highlights).
What you get from Rodriguez is chaos, danger, and violence. He puts himself in danger and if you don’t finish him off he will put you under pressure.
Docked him a bit for being shaky, but recovery and finishing are more important.
Rodriguez vs. Rei Tsuruya next.
Ryan Gandra Only 41 seconds were needed to transmit. Jose Medina It sent him packing in the UFC (hopefully) and resulted in the fastest stoppage loss of Medina’s career (see highlights).
There isn’t much to dissect. Gandra used a push kick to gain range and move forward, flattening him. It was clinical and vicious.
With six first round stoppages, Gandra is pure violence. He is a welcome addition to the middleweight division and should provide fireworks for years to come.
Book it against him. Ismail Naurdiyev next.
colombian Javier Reyes The debut did not go smoothly. He was cracked twice early by the UFC veteran. Douglas Silva de AndradeBefore gathering. Reyes dropped Andrade with a right hand and unleashed a barrage of brutal ground and pound that forced the referee to intervene.
It was interesting but not clean. Reyes was eight years younger and physically bigger, but still absorbed big shots. Maybe adversity woke him up.
Still, he finished a seasoned veteran… and that’s what matters.
If you are healthy, pair up with him. Khan Opley In Perth.
A 21-year-old who starts a fight with 3 days’ notice. Regina Taryn went to war Ernesta Carecaite One of the most entertaining women’s matches in recent memory.
It was three pocket trades. Tarin adapted well in the second round with sharper Muay Thai and nasty knees, then picked up the pace in the final frame and even mixed in a takedown.
She won by unanimous decision, but it felt much closer.
At only 21 years old, she still looks very young. And the lack of head movement is also a problem. But she is fearless and fun. The advantages are clear.
Let’s hope the promotions are smart with her. she has to fight unish duben At her sophomore outing.
Two Rookies Claimed to Be Contracted for Season 9 Contender Series They went head-to-head in the “Striker vs. Grappler” matchup at UFC Mexico City… It didn’t take long.
Damien Pinas No time was wasted in issuing a statement of opposition. Wes Schultz.
After defending an early shot, Pinas dropped Schultz for a 1-2, got another takedown, hit him with an uppercut, and then took him down for another 1-2 (see here).
Efficient. Violent. imposing.
He was one of the following Contender Series‘He was the most exciting prospect last season and he proved why.
I would like to see him object. Andrei Pulyaev next.
As for Schultz… Rough night.
He struggled with distance, was unable to secure sustained grappling, and was overwhelmed on the feet. If his wrestling doesn’t dictate the terms, he’s going to have trouble at this level.
I don’t expect a 0-4 slippage. His grappling is tricky. However, if the opponent defends against this, he is in trouble. He is essentially a middleweight ryan hall.
I think he might fight. ryan loader next.