What do Mexicans celebrate on Feb. 24? Explaining significance of UFC Mexico City date 

UFC Mexico's significance will likely fly over the heads of non-Mexican fans of the promotion. However, UFC Mexico's date is of tremendous importance to the country, as it takes place tomorrow, Feb. 24, which is Día de la Bandera or Flag Day, a national holiday in Mexico.

It celebrates the day the country's tricolor flag was given its iconic colors of green, white, and red, representing a key Mexican value: religion, independence, and unity. The flag, often called Pendón Trigarante, was tailored by Jose Magdaleno Ocampo for what would later become an independent Mexico.

Thus, the UFC has chosen to host an event in Mexico City on Feb. 24 in honor of the national holiday. For that reason, the card consists mainly of Mexican and Mexican-American fighters. It will be headlined by Brandon Moreno, the promotion's first-ever Mexican champion.

He will take on Brandon Royval, an American of Filipino descent, in a rematch nearly four years in the making. The co-headliner also features a rematch, pitting former interim featherweight champion and Mexican striking phenom Yair Rodríguez against Brian Ortega, who is both an American and Mexican citizen.

The card also features the return of one of the sport's most exciting prospects in 19-year-old Raul Rosas Jr., who last TKO'd Terrence Mitchell within 54 seconds. The Mexican-American phenom will square off with Ricky Turcios as he continues his quest to become the youngest champion in the promotion's history.

Given the strength of its lineup, it ranks among one of the most exciting Fight Night cards in some time.

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Is Brandon Moreno the only Mexican champion in UFC history?

Back in 2021, Brandon Moreno made history when he dethroned Deiveison Figueiredo as the promotion's featherweight champion, becoming its first champion from Mexico. But did anyone else follow his lead? Fortunately, they did. Alexa Grasso, a native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, was next.

She captured the undisputed UFC women's flyweight title in a massive upset over Valentina Shevchenko before retaining the title in a rematch that ended in a split draw. Meanwhile, Yair Rodríguez, another Mexican, is the former featherweight champion, having lost the unification bout with Alexander Volkanovski.