UFC 305 is in the books, meaning attention will soon turn to the mixed martial arts leader’s next pay-per-view offering.
The promotion was in Perth, Australia, last week, where the RAC Arena played host to a number of intriguing matchups for its latest visit Down Under. Of note were victories for UFC Middleweight Champion Dricus Du Plessis, former interim flyweight title challenger Kai Kara-France, and lightweight fan favorite Dan Hooker.
While the aftermath of the August 17 card is currently the talk of the town, it won’t be long until focus sways to the next PPV, and from the middleweight title picture to the bantamweight and women’s flyweight championship conversations.
At Noche UFC (UFC 306), an event set to celebrate Mexican Independance Day inside the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada, on September 14, reigning 135-pound kingpin Sean O’Malley will compete for the second time this year. After defeating Marlon Vera, “Sugar” will make his second defense of the gold in a long-awaited grudge match against top contender Merab Dvalishvili.
There will also be title stakes in the co-headliner, as flyweight queen Alexa Grasso completes her trilogy with the legendary Valentina Shevchenko. The pair previously fought to a draw at the first installment of Noche UFC last September and have since coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter.
Ortega & Lopes Among Those Setting The Stage For Title Headliners At UFC 30
Before O’Malley defends his championship and the promotion’s top female flyweights run it back again, a mix of veterans and prospects will take to the Octagon looking to make the most of their positions on the major card.
That includes former two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega and the up-and-coming Diego Lopes, who will give their matchup a second chance at making it to the Octagon. After a same-day withdrawal from “T-City” saw the Mexico-residing Brazilian face and defeat Dan Ige at International Fight Week instead, Lopes will have the opportunity to crack the top five in rearranged clash with Ortega.
Prior to that, highly touted Mexican prospects Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez will open the main card against Esteban Ribovics and Ode’ Osbourne, respectively, while notable names like Irena Aldana and Raul Rosas Jr. will feature on the prelims.
See below for the full UFC 306 card, as it stands.
Main Card:
- Sean O’Malley (C) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (bantamweight championship main event)
- Alexa Grasso (C) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (flyweight championship co-main event)
- Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes (featherweight)
- Daniel Zellhuber vs. Estaban Ribovics (lightweight)
- Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne (flyweight)
Preliminary Card:
- Manuel Torres vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (lightweight)
- Irena Aldana vs. Norma Dumont (women’s bantamweight)
- Edgar Cháirez vs. Kevin Borjas (flyweight)
- Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza (women’s strawweight)
- Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng (bantamweight)
