The UFC’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day comes to The Sphere in Las Vegas for UFC 306 (Noche UFC). The main event will see the colorful Sean O’Malley (18-1, 1 NC) defend the UFC bantamweight title against top contender and wrestler Merab Dvalishvili (17-4). It is a collaborative event with Riyadh Season.
Alexa Grasso defends the UFC flyweight title against Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy fight in the co-main event. The first fight between the two at UFC 285 saw Grasso (16-3-1) dethrone Shevchenko (23-4-1) following a dramatic fourth-round submission win. The rematch was last September, also dubbed Noche UFC. It was a close fight with mixed results, later scored a draw by the judges.
After coaching the latest The Ultimate Fighter, Mexico’s Grasso looks to continue her reign, while the legendary Shevchenko is ready to hold gold again.
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Also on the card will be an exciting featherweight fight between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes. Ortega (16-3, 1 NC) is coming off a submission win against Yair Rodriguez in February which ended a two-fight losing streak, with one loss against Rodriguez following a shoulder injury. The former featherweight title contender is ranked third in the division.
Lopes (25-6) is ranked twelfth and is on a four-fight win streak, with two wins in 2024.
Below is the complete fight card for UFC 306.
UFC 306 fight card
Main Card
- Sean O'Malley (c) vs. Merab Dvalishvili for the UFC bantamweight title
- Alexa Grasso (c) vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3 for the UFC flyweight title
- Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes; Featherweight
- Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics; Lightweights
- Ronaldo Rodríguez vs. Ode' Osbourne; Flyweights
Prelims
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres; Lightweights
- Irena Aldana vs. Norma Dumont; Bantamweights
- Edgar Chairez vs. Kevin Borjas; Flyweights
- Yazmin Jaruegui vs. Ketlen Souza; Strawweights
- Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng; Bantamweights
The main event will feature Sean O'Malley defending the UFC bantamweight title against rival and friend of Aljamain Sterling Merab Dvalishvili.
The event will see the return of Raul Rosas Jr. Rosas (9-1) showcased his skills on Dana White's Contender Series, and White had to sign him afterward. The 19-year-old is on a two-fight win streak and has six wins via submission.
He faces Aoriqileng (25-11), who has eight wins via knockout. The Chinese fighter is coming off a no-contest against Daniel Marcos in February and is 1-1 (1 NC) in his last three fights.
Irene Aldana faces Norma Dumont in a fight for bantamweight bragging rights. Mexico's Aldana (15-7) lost against Amanda Nunes for the UFC bantamweight title in June 2023, Nunes' retirement fight. The owner of the second-most total strikes landed (1,105) in UFC women's bantamweight history is ranked fourth in bantamweight after beating Karol Rosa in a rebound fight.
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Brazil's Dumont (11-2) is on a four-fight win streak. The tenth-ranked bantamweight beat former world champion Germaine de Randamie in April after a run at flyweight.
Also in action, Mexico’s Daniel Zellhuber faces Esteban Ribovics. Zellhuber (15-1) is on a three-fight win streak. The former Dana White's Contender Series standout has seven wins via knockout. Ribovics (13-1) is 3-1 in the UFC. Another DWCS competitor, "El Gringo" has seven wins via knockout and five via submission.
UFC 306 tune-in info
- Date: Saturday, September 14
- Location: The Sphere — Las Vegas, Nevada
- Time: 10 p.m. ET (8 p.m. ET for prelims)
- How to watch: ESPN+ ($79.99 PPV fee plus $10.99/month membership)
UFC 306 will be in The Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, the same day as Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga at the T-Mobile Arena. The early prelims start at 6 p.m. ET, while the prelims are at 8 p.m. ET. The main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, and O'Malley and Dvalishvili should make their way to the octagon around 12:30 a.m. ET, depending on how long the undercard fights last.
Fight fans can watch UFC 304 on ESPN+ PPV.
WATCH: UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, exclusively on ESPN+
Upcoming UFC TV schedule
| Date | Event | Location | How to watch |
| August 3, 2024 | Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov | Etihad Arena - Abu Dhabi | ESPN+, ABC/FUBO |
| August 10, 2024 | Tybura vs. Spivac 2 | UFC APEX- Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| August 17, 2024 | UFC 305: du Plessis vs. Adesanya | RAC Arena - Perth, Australia | ESPN+ |
| August 24, 2024 | TBA vs. TBA | UFC APEX- Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| September 7, 2024 | Burns vs. Brady | UFC APEX - Las Vegas, USA | ESPN+ |
| September 14 | UFC 306: O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili | The Sphere - Las Vegas, Nevada | ESPN+ |