UFC Mexico City loses Contender Series rookie, undefeated knockout artist steps in on three days notice
Season 9 Contender Series contract winner, Sofia Montenegro, was slated to make her Octagon debut this weekend (Sat., Feb. 28, 2026) inside Arena CDMX. However, she has withdrawn from the bout for undisclosed reasons, leaving Ernesta Kareckaite without an opponent just days before fight night.
The good news is that vacancy didn’t last long as undefeated prospect, Regina Tarin, has stepped in on just three days’ notice to make her Octagon debut in Mexico City. The fight will be contested at a 130-pound Catchweight
Tarin (7-0) is a 21-year-old knockout artist who was already scheduled to compete in a Muay Thai bout this weekend in Mexico City, making the turnaround slightly less chaotic than usual. A three-fight veteran under the Combate Global banner, Tarin scored a notable win over former The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) competitor, Kaytlin Neil, last year.
“Kill Bill” boasts an 84 percent finish rate, with four knockouts and two submissions. She has gone to the judges’ scorecards just once in her professional career. For what it’s worth, she also reportedly participated in a WWE tryout back in January.
Kareckaite (6-1-1) enters the matchup at 1-1 in UFC. She is coming off a split decision victory over fellow Contender Series alum, Nicolle Caliari, rebounding from a promotional debut loss to Dione Barbosa at UFC 301.
Checkout UFC Mexico City’s final lineup below (fingers crossed):
Brandon Moreno vs. Lone’er Kavanagh
David Martinez vs. Marlon Vera
Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green
Felipe Bunes vs. Edgar Chairez
Kevin Borjas vs. Imanol Rodriguez
Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco
Ryan Gandra vs. Jose Medina
Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez
Kris Moutinho vs. Cristian Quinonez
Douglas Silva de Andrade vs. Javier Reyes
Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Regina Tarin
Francis Marshall vs. Erik Silva
Damian Pinas vs. Wesley Schultz
