UFC makes its debut at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Mexican Independence Day weekend, dubbed ‘Noche UFC’
• 2 min read
UFC 306 is here. The promotion is set to embark on the first live sporting event to take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Saturday night with a celebration of Mexican fighting in the plans. Dubbed “Noche UFC” and taking place on Mexican Independence Day weekend, UFC CEO Dana White has promised a one-of-a-kind event the world has never seen before.
UFC 306’s main event sees UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley fight rival Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley and Dvalishvili are one of UFC’s best strikers and grapplers, respectively. O’Malley seeks to establish himself as a marquee act in the UFC; meanwhile, Dvalishvili looks to avenge the loss suffered by his close friend and former champ Aljamain Sterling at O’Malley’s hands.
The other title fight set for Saturday night sees a trilogy bout between women’s flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and former titleholder Valentina Shevchenko. Grasso stunningly submitted Shevchenko in their first meeting before the two fought to a draw in the rematch. Now they look to settle the score with Grasso likely to be buoyed by many of her countrymen and women in attendance for the holiday weekend.
Elsewhere on the card, plenty of Mexican fighters get a showcase opportunity. Brian Ortega, the former featherweight title challenger born to Mexican parents in the United States, gets his chance against fast-rising contender Diego Lopes at featherweight. The two were scheduled to meet in July before Ortega fell ill on fight night and was forced to withdraw. Lopes amazingly stayed on the card against Dan Ige, taking the fight on mere hours of notice. Elsewhere, Daniel Zellhuber is set to face Esteban Ribovics at lightweight. And Ronaldo Rodriguez faces off with Ode Osbourne at flyweight.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 306 along with the latest odds. Check back all week long for the latest news, features and other content around this massive event.
UFC 306 fight card, odds
- Sean O’Malley (c) -145 vs. Merab Dvalishvili +125, bantamweight title
- Alexa Grasso (c) -140 vs. Valentina Shevchenko +120, women’s flyweight title
- Diego Lopes -185 vs. Brian Ortega +155, featherweights
- Daniel Zellhuber -225 vs. Esteban Ribovics +185, lightweights
- Ronaldo Rodriguez -145 vs. Ode Osbourne +120, flyweights
- Norma Dumont -115 vs. Irene Aldana -105, women’s bantamweights
- Manuel Torres -125 vs. Igancio Bahamondes +105, lightweights
- Yazmin Jauregui -500 vs. Ketlen Souza +380, women’s strawweights
- Joshua Van -220 vs. Edgar Chairez +180, flyweights
- Raul Rosas Jr. -600 vs. Aoriqileng +440, bantamweight
UFC 306 info
- Date: Sept. 14
- Location: The Sphere — Las Vegas
- Start time: 10 p.m. ET (Main card)
- How to watch: ESPN+ PPV
UFC 306 countdown
- Brookhouse: Best bets to consider on the main card
- Mahjouri: Undercard fights to watch beyond O’Malley-Dvalishvili, Grasso-Shevchenko
- De La Hoya plans to attend UFC 306 instead of Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga
- Campbell: Five biggest storylines to watch this weekend
- Mahjouri: An inside look at how the Sphere will operate on fight night
