Dana White, CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Shortly after the official weigh-ins for UFC 304, CEO Dana White announced the full card for the upcoming Noche UFC 306 .
Here’s a video with short previews of most of the fights:
If you don’t see any posts from X, check out the next card.
- (c) Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili – UFC Men’s Bantamweight Title
- (c) Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko – UFC Women’s Flyweight Title
- Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopez
- Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Rybovic
- Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ordo Osborne
- Manuel Torres vs. Ignacio Bajamondes
- Irena Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
- Edgar Chailes vs. Kevin Borjas
- Yazmin Jaluegui vs. Ketlen Souza
- Raul Rosas vs. Aorikirengu
One fight previously expected to be on the card was not announced – Michel Pereira vs. Anthony Hernandez. More information on this fight is expected to be released in the next few days, possibly because it has been moved to another card.
Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili is one of the most anticipated title fights of the year, and pitting a star like O’Malley against his top contender and rival, Dvalishvili, makes sense as the main event for UFC NOC.
Likewise, the third and final bout between UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko also deserves to be a co-main event. The Mexican ended Shevchenko’s long reign as champion in their first bout, then fought to a draw in the rematch.
The third fight will likely determine a lot between these two elite fighters.
Also on the main card is the Diego Lopez vs. Brian Ortega bout that was supposed to have been seen at UFC 302. Lopez turned down replacement Dan Ige late in the bout after Ortega had to withdraw from the event due to illness.
This will give Lopez a big boost in the featherweight rankings and a chance at a world title, while Ortega will likely need two wins to get a shot at Ilia Topuria for the title.
But if Topuria loses to Max Holloway in the mega-fight scheduled for UFC 307 at the earliest in October, Ortega’s wait could be even longer, as he already faced Holloway and lost in 2018.
While the top three bouts on the card are great and loaded with names most UFC fans will know, it’s not hard to imagine the promotion receiving criticism for the rest of the lineup.
White is touting the pay-per-view as the greatest event in the history of the sport, and while the presentation and experience inside the Las Vegas Sphere may be one of a kind, this is still a mixed martial arts show.
The main event is the match, and some would argue there should be at least two more big names on the card.
Regardless, don’t overlook the dynamic Daniel Zellhuber. The 25-year-old Mexican lightweight boxer looks to be a future title contender. At 6’1″, Zellhuber has some of the best length in his division and is young enough that he has plenty of time to stick around.
He’ll face the dangerous Esteban Ribovich, who is coming off a head kick knockout of Terrance McKinney in May, and will be looking to halt Zellhuber’s momentum and build on his own.
Irene Aldana’s appearance in the prelims is a surprise. The Mexican veteran is a former world title challenger who has never lost in her UFC career and is fresh off an impressive performance in a win over Karol Rosa in December 2023.
Aldana will face Norma Dumont, which will also be a great fight.
Either way, Noche UFC promises to be an unforgettable event with two world titles on the line.