Venue Location
Arena CDMX (formerly Palacio de los Deportes), Mexico City, Mexico. This iconic indoor arena in the heart of Mexico City hosts major UFC events with a capacity of around 20,000 for MMA. High-altitude conditions (approx. 7,350 ft / 2,240 m) can affect cardio, favoring fighters with strong grappling or efficient pacing over high-volume strikers. The Octagon will be set up in the center for optimal viewing.
Ringwalks:
Prelims: 4:00 PM CST / 5:00 PM ET (Paramount+)
- Main Card: 7:00 PM CST / 8:00 PM ET (Paramount+)
The Luna vs. Pacheco bantamweight bout sits on the main card (roughly 8th fight of 13 on the card). Expected walkouts around 9:00–10:00 PM ET depending on prior bout lengths. The full event runs approximately 4–5 hours.
Injury Report
No reported injuries or withdrawals for either fighter as of February 23–24, 2026.
- Santiago Luna appears fully healthy and training at full capacity after his September 2025 UFC debut.
- Angel Pacheco has been inactive since March 2024 (nearly 23-month layoff), but no public injury disclosures; the layoff is attributed to matchmaking, recovery from his UFC debut loss, and regional scheduling. Both fighters have cleared all medicals and are confirmed for the bout. Altitude training will be a factor for both, but no acute issues noted.
Fighter Matchups / Tale of the Tape
Santiago Luna (“Borderboy”) vs. Angel Pacheco – Bantamweight (135 lbs)
- Luna: 21 years old (born August 6, 2004), 7-0-0 pro (1-0 UFC), 5’9″ (175 cm), 74″ reach, orthodox, Tijuana/San Diego area, Entram Gym. Well-rounded finisher with elite grappling pedigree (multiple RNC wins) and developing striking power.
- Pacheco: 34 years old (born January 13, 1992), 7-3-0 pro (0-1 UFC), 5’8″ (173 cm), 70″ reach, orthodox, Saint Cloud/Duluth, MN area, New England Cartel / Start BJJ. Boxing-first striker with knockout power but limited grappling and defensive liabilities.
Style Breakdown: Luna is a dangerous finisher (100% finish rate: 3 KO/TKO, 4 submissions, many in Round 1). Pacheco relies on volume boxing and early pressure but has never won a UFC/DWCS fight and struggles defensively on the ground (28% TD defense in limited Octagon time). Luna holds advantages in youth, size/reach, grappling, and finishing ability. Pacheco’s experience edge is minimal given Luna’s rapid ascent.
Recent Form
- Luna (7-0, all finishes): Explosive momentum. In his UFC debut (Sept. 13, 2025, vs. Quang Le), he was dropped early but roared back for a first-round KO (punch, 2:48) and earned Performance of the Night. Prior regional wins featured four first-round finishes. He has looked elite in sparring against top lightweights and claims top-15 readiness already. Coming off a short-notice or quick turnaround feel with high confidence.
- Pacheco (7-3, last 2 losses): Struggling. UFC debut (March 30, 2024) resulted in a clear unanimous decision loss to Caolán Loughran (outstruck and controlled). Before that, lost on Dana White’s Contender Series (Sept. 2023) via UD to Danny Silva. Pre-UFC, he had four of his last six wins but against lower-level competition. Long layoff raises questions about ring rust, cardio at altitude, and adaptation to UFC pace.
Fight History / Key Notes
No head-to-head. Luna has never gone the distance professionally and specializes in back-taking / rear-naked chokes or counter KO power. Pacheco is 5-0 in finishes among his wins (mostly early KOs) but 0-3 in decisions at the highest levels he’s faced, with poor striking defense (41%) and zero takedown success in UFC stats. Luna’s only Octagon sample showed elite recovery and finishing instinct; Pacheco’s two high-level losses highlighted durability issues under pressure.
Betting Trends
- Heavy public and sharp money on Luna as the next big bantamweight prospect (similar to past rises like Sean O’Malley or Cory Sandhagen in their early UFC runs).
- Veterans/layoff fighters like Pacheco often get overvalued as dogs but struggle with pace and altitude (Mexico City history shows finishes in prospect vs. veteran mismatches).
- Bantamweight trends favor finishers: Luna’s youth + grappling edge plays perfectly against Pacheco’s high-volume but low-accuracy striking (9.50 SLpM but 39% accuracy, absorbs 11.47).
FIGHT ODDS
Santiago Luna – 450
Angel Pacheco + 325
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Friday, February 27, 2026
