UFC 306, the first-ever UFC numbered event to ever receive the name of its biggest investor, has ensured that the entropy of the fighting community remains high. The high-octane event will make UFC the very first combat sports organization to host a show at the Sphere, Las Vegas. Needless to say, Dana White and Craig Borsari have indeed a lot planned to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and show the fight fans the history of Mexican Independence through the 6 short videos set to play between the fights. After all, they’ve invested over $20 million in the development of UFC 306.

With the promise of a visual delight at the most interactive building in Las Vegas, the MMA promotion has put together 10 fights for the event. No doubt, the event is filled with Mexican fighters who’ll show the world how strong they actually are. And there are a few fights that you absolutely must not miss.

Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili

The main event is scheduled to end UFC 306 in style, with Sean O’Malley defending his title against Merab Dvalishvili. ‘Suga’ is on a 6-fight win streak, with UFC 306 being his second title defense. With 18 wins and just one loss in his career, O’Malley aims to stay on top of the bantamweight throne. No wonder he has already begun trashing his opponent on social media. He seems to believe that he’s a “nightmare matchup” for Dvalishvili. 

O’Malley has been impressing the fight fans with his high battle IQ and striking prowess. He is indeed a marksman when it comes to sending punches, and with that comes his appetite for KO wins. The 29YO has made the matchup even more interesting by promising to exploit his opponent’s injury and claim his 13th OK win.

On the other hand, ‘The Machine’ is a more balanced fighter, with his weights tilting towards wrestling. With his experience in sambo, wrestling, and judo, the Georgian-American can be expected to deploy a wide variety of submission techniques to tap O’Malley out. While O’Malley is known for his accuracy, Dvalishvili has the skill to time his movements, which usually dictates the game. 

On top of that, the bantamweight #1 is also an expert at deploying the cross-trip double-leg takedown. It’s indeed a move that ‘Suga’ needs to be wary of. While O’Malley will probably target the cut above Dvlishvili’s eye and try to knock him out, ‘The Machine’ will do his best to submit him. The question that remains is who does it first.

Now, let’s shift the focus to the co-main event. It is a fight that is slated to conclude The Ultimate Fighter Season 32 in style.

Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

The co-main event at UFC Noche will indeed feature the coaches for TUF 32, as they’ll put the women’s flyweight title on the line. This fight is the one between Alexa Grasso and her long-time opponent Valentina Shevchenko. It will be the third time they will grace the Octagon. The first time they fought, Grasso defeated Shevchenko with a rear naked choke in the fourth round and became the women’s flyweight champion. She is, in fact, one of three Mexican champions in the UFC. 

Their second bout resulted in a draw. If Grasso wins the bout at Noche UFC, she will definitely prove her strength against the former champion. But the scales will balance themselves if it’s ‘Bullet’s victory. 

The Mexican champion is pretty well-rounded, but her strengths lie in the realm of grappling. Meanwhile, Shevchenko is someone who relies more on striking. Even though both of them are all-rounders, the matchup is one of the classic grappler vs. striker fights. ‘Bullet’ can be expected to stick to a tactical approach, but she also tends to set the pace of the fight.

But the event has a probability of tilting a bit more in favor of Grasso. Why? Firstly, because she has already defeated Shevchenko once. And secondly, she has been improving in every single bout she competes in. On top of that, Grasso will share the stage with her BJJ instructor, Diego Lopes.

Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes 

Lopes and Brian Ortega were previously scheduled to fight at UFC 303. Ortega, however, was forced to pull out of the fight just a couple of hours before their match because of his illness. He released a statement to explain the reason why he pulled out and said, “I struggled with my own ego, got on a call with Tiki and Hunter, and I made the decision to call off the fight. I dared to do something crazy for the love of fighting, but I got sick and my body gave out on me.” Despite battling a high fever, Ortega’s love for fighting pushed him to the last moment. 

The consequences of Ortega’s condition also induced a drastic change in the weight category for the fight. But Lopes wasn’t someone who would give up. He accepted the challenge and modified his weight. However, it was Dan Ige who finally replaced Ortega and fought Lopes. 

But this time, things have seemingly worked as planned and Ortega will finally get to fight Lopes. The grappling-heavy Brazilian fighter can be expected to deploy his BJJ skills to submit Ortega. But the American is also someone who has strong jiu-jitsu skills. After all, he has trained with Rener Gracie as his primary sensei. All the fighting community needs to do, is wait to see who taps out first.

If you think these three fights are the only bouts that will entertain you, you’d be so wrong. Let’s take a look at some of the other fights that you can expect to pack a punch.

Raul Rosas Jr. and other honorary mentions

UFC 306 will begin with Raul Rosas Jr. fighting the Chinese prospect, Aoriqileng, in the only early prelims card. Rosas garnered quite a bit of fame with his performance at UFC Noche 2023. He became the youngest fighter in the history of the UFC to win a bout in the Octagon, and even received a $50K bonus to get a minivan for his mother. Without a doubt, Noche UFC is destined to start with a bang.

The preliminary card is filled with Mexican mixed martial artists like Irene Aldana, Mannuel Torres, Yazmin Jauregui, and Edgar Chairez. And the rest couple of the fights in the main card will feature Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez, making it an event that the Mexicans will never forget.

Which fight has caught your attention? Are you excited to witness the story of Riyadh Season Noche UFC unfold? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.