UFC is going all out for its debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas. UFC president Dana White announced on Friday that the promotion’s PPV event will feature a pair of title fights atop the marquee. Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley will defend his crown against top contender Merab Dvalishvili while women’s flyweight queen Alexa Grasso will take on Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy fight. It all goes down on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas — the same night as Canelo Alvarez’s latest boxing bout against Edgar Berlanga over Mexican Independence Day weekend.
O’Malley made the first defense of his 135-pound title in March when he outpointed Marlon Vera. “Suga” is unbeaten in his last seven appearances in the Octagon with the lone blemish in his UFC career being a TKO loss to Vera that has now been avenged. Dvalishvili, meanwhile, has become an unstoppable force against all opponents. After losing his first two fights in UFC, the native of Georgia has won 10 in a row and looked more impressive each time out. He’s coming off a decisive win over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo in February.
Grasso and Shevchenko have been linked for a few years. Grasso won the title off Shevchenko in March 2023 with a stunning submission. The two would battle to a draw in the subsequent rematch in September with the result leaving many unsatisfied. Then, they were chosen as the coaches for the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” which made it apparent that a third fight was destined to take place.
Also announced for the card is Brian Ortega against Diego Lopes. The two were expected to meet at UFC 303 in June on short notice after other fights fell off the card. But Ortega had issues making weight the day before and then fell ill the day of the event, forcing him to withdraw. Lopes chose to remain on the card and take on Dan Ige, who lives and trains in Las Vegas, on mere hours of notice. Lopes earned the unanimous decision, but was disappointed with how the situation played out.
