Dana White’s plans for “…the greatest live sporting event anyone has ever seen” seem to be on track! The upcoming UFC 306 event on September 14 has now received a title fight as Alexa Grasso will be taking on Valentina Shevchenko to defend her UFC women’s flyweight title. The event has also been re-branded to ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ to reflect the Saudi General Entertainment Authority’s (GEA) sponsorship of the card.

Reports have also indicated that ‘Riyadh Season’ will now be the first-ever title sponsor for a live UFC event and will be featured prominently during the broadcast and other aspects of the card. The fight between Grasso and Shevchenko will be the third time the pair will face off against one another and after their controversial clash at the last ‘Noche UFC’, fans can anticipate an all-out war to decide who the best female flyweight in the promotion is.

Dana White receives the first title fight for his ‘Noche UFC 306’ venture at ‘The Sphere’ in Las Vegas  

UFC CEO Dana White has indicated that his aim for the upcoming UFC event at the sphere involves putting on a show that will be hard to match by anyone who comes after him. In his conversation with Shannon Sharpe on the ‘Club Shay Shay’ podcast, the UFC boss had revealed that, “I’m already $16 million into this thing. This will never be done again. This will never be replicated. Anybody who comes in after me at The Sphere is f*****. F*****.”

White also added that the event is his way of honoring Mexico and its legacy of combat sports and what better way to demonstrate that than by featuring the first-ever female Mexican UFC champion at the event? In a recent update on social media by MMA Orbit, it was revealed that “Alexa Grasso has confirmed that she will defend her UFC flyweight title at #NocheUFC on September 14 at Sphere.”

Grasso is currently a coach on The Ultimate Fighter 32 alongside her opponent for Noche UFC 306, Valentina Shevchenko. However, the update also indicated that if ‘Bullet’ is unable to make her way into the cage on the night, no. 2 ranked contender Manon Fiorot has been tapped in by the promotion as a backup for this clash.

Grasso won the title from Shevchenko at UFC 285 via a face crank submission despite coming into the fight as a heavy underdog. However, their rematch at ‘Noche UFC’ in September last year saw the fight being declared a split draw that was seen as controversial by many prominent voices in the sport, including Shevchenko.

This time, however, ‘Bullet’ has revealed that she will be going into the Octagon with only one goal in mind.

Shevchenko doesn’t want to leave this fight in the judges’ hands 

Alexa Grasso retained her title in the second fight against Valentina Shevchenko due to judge Mike Bell’s decision to award her a 10-8 score for the fifth and final round leading to a split draw outcome. The move drew a lot of controversy as in the post-fight press conference, Shevchenko had stated “I’m frustrated from the judges’ decision.”

Now, with a chance to get back the title she once held, Shevchenko recently spoke to MMA Junkie about her mindset for the third fight against Grasso. ‘Bullet’ stated, “Definitely I will focus more on the finish. For me, it’s no matter what kind of finish, striking or submission. It has to be done. I’m focusing more on those things.”

She also confessed that she doesn’t hold the decision against Grasso or has any personal animosity towards her opponent, but this time, she is determined to not let the judges decide the outcome of the fight. As the anticipation builds, UFC 306 promises an unforgettable night, not just for the fighters but for the entire MMA community.

The culmination of Dana White’s grand vision, coupled with the high-stakes rematch between Grasso and Shevchenko, ensures that ‘Riyadh Season Noche UFC’ will be a landmark event in UFC history! Do you think Alexa Grasso will be able to hold on to the title against a determined Shevchenko? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.