Mexico and England are set to kick off on the Estadio Azteca in Mexico Metropolis tonight at 8 p.m. ET (1 a.m. BST, Monday July 6) within the FIFA World Cup 2026 Spherical of 16, and the build-up has already been a cleaning soap opera. FIFA tried to shift the kickoff six hours earlier, allegedly as a consequence of incoming thunderstorms over Mexico City, solely to backtrack after each associations made their displeasure very clear. Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre referred to as the proposed change a “kick within the abdomen” earlier than FIFA quietly dropped the concept.
Mexico vs. England
Taking part in at an altitude of seven,220 toes at a floor the place Mexico have misplaced simply twice in 89 matches. England, in the meantime, wanted two Harry Kane targets within the 74th minute to scramble previous DR Congo within the Spherical of 32, with Kane turning into the primary English participant to attain twice in a World Cup knockout match since Gary Lineker in 1990. The 2 nations have met simply as soon as at a World Cup, England beat Mexico 2-0 within the 1966 group stage, on the best way to lifting the trophy. England have gained their final 4 conferences total, however none of these had been performed at altitude, in entrance of 87,000 Mexicans, with a spot within the quarterfinals on the road.
Whereas the footballers type that out, right here is the extra essential query: should you lined up every nation’s 5 greatest MMA fighters of all time, who wins?
Mexico’s Lineup
Brandon Moreno “The Murderer Child”
From making piñatas in Tijuana to turning into the primary Mexican-born UFC champion in historical past, Brandon Moreno’s story is the type Hollywood would most likely break in the event that they tried to adapt it. The 125-pound flyweight holds a 23-10-2 document and fought Deiveson Figueiredo 4 instances in some of the entertaining rivalries the flyweight division has ever produced. He submitted Figueiredo at UFC 263 to assert the title, then defended it through TKO at UFC 283, turning into a two-time champion within the course of. He educated underneath Crew Fortis MMA and carries 11 submission wins, making his floor sport one thing you’d somewhat not end up in.
The Tijuana native began coaching at 12, as soon as described Rocky Balboa as one in all his heroes, and has the type of cage presence that makes the group lean in each time he walks out.
Yair Rodriguez “El Pantera”
Yair Rodriguez is the type of fighter who makes you neglect what you had been watching earlier than he confirmed up. Born in Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, the featherweight constructed a profession round taekwondo-based putting, unorthodox motion, and the type of creativity that has earned him 9 UFC bonuses, probably the most of any Mexico-born fighter in firm historical past.
He submitted Josh Emmett in February 2023 to win the interim featherweight title, and his fifth-round, last-second elbow knockout of Chan Sung Jung at 4:59 stays some of the iconic finishes in UFC historical past. A black belt in taekwondo and a Valle Circulation Hanging product, El Pantera has been in 5 Combat of the Night time bonuses over his profession. He received his begin successful the primary TUF LATAM season again in 2014, which tells you this was all the time the place he was headed.
Alexa Grasso
On March 4, 2023, at UFC 285, Alexa Grasso choked out Valentina Shevchenko within the fourth spherical to turn out to be the UFC ladies’s flyweight champion, the primary Mexican and Latin American lady to carry a UFC title. The Guadalajara-born fighter carries a 17-5-1 document and made historical past in opposition to probably the most dominant ladies’s champion of the final decade. She went on to attract with Shevchenko within the rematch through break up resolution, conserving her belt, earlier than finally dropping it in a 3rd battle at UFC 306 in September 2024.
Grasso is an orthodox striker who lands 4.11 vital strikes per minute and sits at 5’5″ with a 66″ attain. She has educated at Lobo Health club in Guadalajara alongside Diego Lopes, and at 32 years previous, is way from carried out.
Diego Lopes
Technically, Diego Lopes was born in Manaus, Brazil, however he moved to Mexico at 19, constructed his profession there, trains at Lobo Health club in Guadalajara, opened a fitness center referred to as Brazilian Warriors in Puebla, and walks out waving each the Brazilian and Mexican flags. At this level, Mexico has claimed him, and he has claimed Mexico proper again. His UFC document is 28-8-0 with 10 KOs and 12 submissions, and he challenged for the featherweight title twice in opposition to Alexander Volkanovski in 2025. He knocked out Sodiq Yusuff at UFC 300 in 1:29 and Pat Sabatini at UFC 295 in 1:30, back-to-back first-round demolitions on the most important playing cards of the 12 months. A second-degree BJJ black belt, the man began coaching at 5 years previous as a result of his father ran a jiu-jitsu fitness center at house, so the inspiration runs deep.
The Sphere look at UFC 306 in September 2024, the second annual Noche UFC, held on Mexican Independence Day weekend, was basically Lopes’ nationwide coming-out occasion. He dominated Brian Ortega over three rounds inside some of the visually putting venues in sports activities historical past, touchdown a knockdown within the first earlier than successful a unanimous resolution (30-26, 30-27, 30-27) and saying to the featherweight division that he was prepared for a title shot.
Then, in June 2026, Lopes opened the UFC’s most traditionally uncommon occasion, UFC Freedom 250 on the South Garden of the White Home, by knocking out Steve Garcia within the second spherical. A left hook damage Garcia, Lopes adopted with a proper hand flush on the jaw, and referee Mike Beltran waved it off at 2:42. He informed Joe Rogan afterward that it felt “unbelievable,” then provided to come back again for the principle occasion in the event that they wanted him. The person simply can’t assist himself.
Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez is the unique Mexican flag bearer of the UFC heavyweight division, and the template that made Mexican combating followers fall in love with the game at 265 kilos. The son of Mexican migrant employees from Salinas, California, Velasquez turned a two-time UFC heavyweight champion and the primary Mexican-American to carry gold in any main contact sport.
He stopped Brock Lesnar within the first spherical at UFC 121 to assert his first title, then misplaced it to Junior dos Santos earlier than occurring a dominant run that included back-to-back wins over dos Santos and a protection in opposition to Antonio Silva. His wrestling base from Arizona State College gave him the type of strain and cage management that made him nearly unimaginable to cease at his peak.
England’s Lineup
Michael Bisping “The Rely”
Michael Bisping is the best British MMA fighter of all time. The Manchester-raised middleweight went 20-9 within the UFC throughout 29 fights, headlined playing cards in seven completely different nations, greater than any fighter in UFC historical past, and on 14 days’ discover knocked out Luke Rockhold at UFC 199 in 2016 to turn out to be the primary British champion in UFC historical past. He was 37 years previous when he did it.
His 1,567 vital strikes landed within the UFC had been probably the most in firm historical past on the time of his retirement. Bisping gained The Final Fighter Season 3 in 2006, first competed at 15 years previous in Britain’s authentic “no holds barred” occasions, and educated as a professional kickboxer earlier than transitioning to MMA. He was inducted into the UFC Corridor of Fame in 2019 and at present co-hosts the Imagine You Me podcast and works as an analyst.
Leon Edwards “Rocky”
Leon Edwards was born in Kingston, Jamaica, grew up in Aston, Birmingham after his father was murdered when he was 14, received pulled into gang tradition, after which had his mom march him into a neighborhood MMA fitness center to maintain him off the streets. It labored, he turned UFC welterweight champion. His head kick knockout of Kamaru Usman in spherical 5 of their rematch at UFC 278 is without doubt one of the most dramatic finishes in UFC welterweight historical past, and ESPN’s Knockout of the 12 months for 2022.
He defended the title in opposition to Usman through majority resolution at UFC 286 in London, and his 12-fight unbeaten streak within the UFC welterweight division is tied with Georges St-Pierre for the second longest within the division’s historical past. His document sits at 21-3-1 NC, and he educated out of UTC Health club in Erdington, Birmingham, refusing to relocate to the USA even on the peak of his profession. The second British UFC champion in historical past.
Tom Aspinall
Tom Aspinall is the present undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, after Jon Jones formally retired in June 2025 and Aspinall was elevated from interim champion. The Salford-born heavyweight held the interim title for 535 days, the longest interim title reign in UFC historical past, earlier than that promotion got here by way of. His document is 15-3-0 with 12 knockout wins and 14 first-round finishes, together with his interim title victories over Sergei Pavlovich (69 seconds) and Curtis Blaydes (60 seconds). He completed Alexander Volkov with an armbar in simply over three minutes, submitted Andrei Arlovski, and stopped Marcin Tybura in 1:13, in brief, the person doesn’t keep in fights lengthy.
He received into the game by way of his father, educated at Crew Kaobon in Atherton, and stands 6’5″ with a 78″ attain. At 33 years previous, he’s probably the most full heavyweight England has ever produced.
Paddy Pimblett “The Baddy”
Paddy Pimblett walked into the UFC in September 2021 from Liverpool carrying the power of a person who had already been well-known for years, as a result of he had been, as former Cage Warriors featherweight champion. The light-weight has an expert document of 23-4-0 with seven knockout wins and ten submission victories, and has knocked out or submitted his approach by way of a lot of the UFC roster. He stopped Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025 and was submitted King Inexperienced through triangle choke at UFC 304, placing him on a nine-fight win streak earlier than shedding to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in January 2026.
A second-degree BJJ black belt who trains at Subsequent Technology MMA Liverpool, “The Baddy” is without doubt one of the hottest fighters within the promotion globally. His subsequent battle at UFC 329 is already booked in opposition to Benoit Saint-Denis in July 2026.
Dan Hardy “The Outlaw”
Dan Hardy from Nottingham is the wildcard on this checklist, however he earned his seat. The welterweight fought Georges St-Pierre for the UFC welterweight title at UFC 111 in 2010 and survived each submission try GSP threw at him for 5 rounds, together with a locked-in armbar that ought to have ended the battle by any cheap customary. Hardy is 25-10-0 total, with a UFC debut in 2008, and put collectively a run within the division that included wins over Carlos Condit and Marcus Davis.
After a battle with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a cardiac situation that pressured him right into a four-year layoff, he returned to compete at UFC Combat Night time in 2012 earlier than in the end retiring. Hardy constructed a second profession as some of the revered MMA analysts and commentators within the enterprise, a task he holds with the PFL for years, and stays a distinguished voice within the sport.
Ten fighters, two nations, zero weight class alignment, and completely no strategy to name a definitive winner, which is strictly what makes this enjoyable. Mexico sends a flyweight world champion, an interim featherweight champion, the primary Latin American ladies’s UFC titleholder, a Brazilian who selected Mexico so exhausting he opened a fitness center there, and a two-time heavyweight champion who made the Mexican flag imply one thing within the octagon. England counters with the primary British UFC champion, a former welterweight world champion who headkicked his approach into historical past, the present undisputed heavyweight king, Liverpool’s most charismatic export, and a cardiac-condition-surviving welterweight who as soon as practically tapped to an armbar and refused to stop in opposition to the best welterweight of all time.
On paper, England’s depth on the prime is difficult to argue with, Bisping, Edwards, and Aspinall are all real world title holders, and Aspinall proper now sits on the prime of the game’s greatest division. However Mexico‘s ceiling with Moreno and Rodriguez is equally legit, and the Grasso chapter alone rewrote what was attainable for Mexican fighters within the UFC. The reality is each squads would fill any card on the planet, and any promoter would write a big test to ebook both aspect.
