Renato Moicano wasted no time making a statement at UFC Vegas 115, but it wasn’t just the win that grabbed attention. It was what came after.
Coming off a tough stretch in the main event of UFC Vegas 115 on Saturday night, the Brazilian lightweight bounced back in emphatic fashion, finishing Chris Duncan via second-round submission after dropping him earlier in the fight.
The performance re-established Moicano as a dangerous presence in the division, but his focus quickly shifted beyond rankings or momentum.
Renato Moicano Targets Former Foe Brian Ortega After UFC Vegas 115 Win
Moments after his victory, Renato Moicano made it clear that one name sits above all others on his list: Brian Ortega.
“There is one motherf*cker who I have bad blood [with] and his name is Brian Ortega,” Moicano said. “He ran the first time. I was beating him the first time. He got me OK, fair enough, but it was my first defeat. Now I want revenge. I want his head. I want to kill this motherf*cker.”
The rivalry dates back to UFC 214, where the two first met in a featherweight bout. The former UFC lightweight title challenger was ahead before “T-City” secured a third-round submission, handing him the first loss of his professional career.
— Combat Sport Guys (@combatsportguys) April 5, 2026
Nearly a decade later, the MMA promotion attempted to revisit that matchup at UFC 326. However, the rematch was scrapped after Ortega withdrew due to lingering injuries, leaving Moicano without the opportunity to settle the score.
Moicano Eyes Multiple Opponents, But Revenge Tops The List
While revenge appears to be the driving force, the 36-year-old did not shy away from sizing up other contenders in the lightweight division.
Despite naming several potential opponents, Moicano admitted that no fight carries the same weight as facing Ortega again.
“I think Dan Hooker would be even easier, but at the same time, it was my first loss,” he said. “Brian Ortega, especially because he’s coming to lightweight. I like fighting. I like that matchup. We were supposed to fight, so I don’t know. I don’t know what happened to him. He just pulled out of the fight, but I think we have unfinished business.”
With his victory at UFC Vegas 115, Moicano has rebounded from a two-fight losing streak and now improves his record to 13-7 inside the promotion.
Many in the MMA world could tell Brian Ortega had a rough weight cut for his last UFC outing but the former multi-time featherweight title challenger has gotten into even more specific detail about the trying ordeal. ‘T-City’ was intially contracted for a clash with Aljamain Sterling at 145 pounds until a last minute shift to a 153 pound catchweight contest inspired by Ortega’s difficulties hitting the featherweight limit for UFC Shanghai.
Ortega looked like a shell of himself on the scales with many worrying about him in the lead up to his unanimous deicison loss to the former UFC bantamweight champion. In a video address posted to his personal Instagram account, Ortega said [via MMA Junkie],
“I cut weight on Thursday. We hit the first one – we got down to ’51. Second one, later on I decided to jump the gun on that one at 12, but we cut from midnight all the way to 8 in the morning, cutting weight the entire time. I realized I had 1.7 to go still. I was confused on how my body wasn’t really pouring out the water, why it was just holding it in, but no matter what, we have to get this weight off so we did.”
Brian Ortega on going unconscious and waking up hospitalized
Brian Ortega continued to delve into the tumult with his recent weight cutting situation in China as Ortega stated,
“So we went downstairs, ate something, decided to cut more weight, put the plastics on, sweet sweat. I hit 20 minutes on the bike. Once I got off, I went unconscious. I was unconscious for about 30 minutes. During that time, they were putting ice on me, they took all my clothes off, they left me in boxers. I woke up in the E.R., I ripped everything off, I couldn’t really speak, translate to them.”
“I was like, if they don’t take everything off, I’m going to take it off myself. We knew we had time limit to get to the weigh-ins, otherwise I could not fight. If you saw the weigh-ins, you obviously know I looked delirious, and just coming off 30 minutes of being unconscious in the tunnel. After that, weighed in. We figured if I didn’t feel good or if something was seriously off, we would call the fight.”
“Funk Master” dominated Ortega in a largely stand-up battle, dictating the pace with sharp strikes and powerful kicks that steadily wore down the two-time featherweight title challenger.
Sterling didn’t pursue a takedown until the latter half of the fight, but once the action hit the mat in rounds four and five, the former UFC bantamweight champion cemented his victory with dominant top control and punishing ground-and-pound. When the fight ended, Sterling had left no doubt, earning a unanimous 50-45 decision from all three judges.
Image: @ufc/X
Aljamain Sterling Says Elbow Trouble Had Him Worried in UFC Shanghai Victory
During the UFC Shanghai post-fight show (via MMA Fighting), Aljamain Sterling opened up about his hard-fought victory over Brian Ortega. “Funk Master” revealed he had been dealing with some issues leading into the fight and then suffered a significant elbow injury in the fourth round while attempting a spinning back elbow, which left him momentarily worried his opponent might mount a comeback.
Despite the scare, Sterling managed to stay composed, relying on his grappling to regain control and secure the win. The 36-year-old New Yorker admitted the moment was tense, but his poise and technique ultimately allowed him to dictate the fight and close it out successfully.
“That last elbow I landed in round four, I really couldn’t even keep my arm up to defend myself,” Aljamain Sterling said. “When he came after me, I was like this is like a living nightmare right now. Because I can’t even do anything other than circle, and hopefully he makes a mistake, which he did and allowed me to take his back and get him down.”
After the fight, Sterling took to social media to post a video showing his swollen, injured left elbow, earning praise from fans for maintaining his composure despite the setback.
Aljamain Sterling shows the damage from Brian Ortega’s spinning elbow — leaving him unable to bend his arm. 😬😬
“Funk Master” responded to one comment, explaining that he had to mask the injury, knowing Ortega could have taken advantage if he showed any weakness.
I had to hide it or Ortega would’ve smelled the blood. Compromised in RDs 4&5 and I still fought well and tried my best. This is how the fight game goes sometimes. No one has finished Ortega outside of the DR. Ppl are quick to forget that he’s a dawg https://t.co/32Ttp6M4cR
With the victory, Sterling improves to 2-1 since his move to the featherweight division in April 2024. He made the jump after relinquishing his bantamweight title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in August 2023.
The UFC returned to China for a Fight Night event with UFC Shanghai on August 23, taking place during the early hours of the morning at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium in Shanghai, China.
This represented the UFC’s first card held in Shanghai since November 2017, a card that saw the final fight in the career of UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping, as he was knocked out by Kelvin Gastelum. This past November, the UFC held a Fight Night event in Macau, which saw Petr Yan scoring a decision over Deiveson Figueiredo.
The main event of this UFC Shanghai saw a light heavyweight showdown featuring Johnny Walker and Zhang Mingyang. Walker was looking to rebound from a three-fight losing skid, which included a no-contest and knockout loss vs. current light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and a knockout loss to Volkan Oezdemir. Mingyang, meanwhile, has scored every victory of his MMA career thus far in the first round. He’s 3-0 since entering the UFC, scoring finishes of Brendson Ribiero, Ozzy Diaz, and Anthony Smith.
The co-main event saw a pair of stars battling in a 153-pound catchweight contest, as former featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega faced former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Ortega has lost three of his last four, stretching back to his unsuccessful challenge of Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title at UFC 266. Sterling moved up to 145 after losing the bantamweight title, defeating Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 but losing to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310. The fight took place at catchweight following serious weight-cut complications for Ortega.
Who showed out in China? Who faltered? Let’s find out with this edition of UFC Hits and Misses!
Alarms are set for Shanghai ⏰#UFCShanghai starts at 3amET Saturday morning on @ESPNPlus 📺
Hit – Uran Satybaldiev Starts The Card With UFC History
Prior to UFC Shanghai, only three people in the UFC managed to pull off a victory via Ezekiel choke — Aleksei Oleinik (who had a stellar three), Remco Pardoel, and Alexander Volknov. Uran Sarybaldiev now gets to join that list.
Going up against Diyar Nurgozhay, Sarybaldiev made things quick. He could’ve gotten him out of there in the opening minute, but Nurgozhay managed to survive getting rocked. Sarybaldiev then had a tight kimura, but again, Nurgozhay came out of it still in the fight. Sarybaldiev completely overwhelmed him, however, and managed to get on top and secure the rare submission — done, even rarer, from the top position.
STARTING OFF FAST WITH THE SUBMISSION 💥
Uran Satybaldiev sinks in the Ezekiel choke to kick off #UFCShanghai 🤯
It’s not every day that we get a UFC Fight Night event in an arena with fans, let alone an international one. But a finish like this definitely set the tone for what ended up being an exciting preliminary card.
Hit – Yi Zha’s Starching Left Hand Leads To KO Success
Uran Satybaldiev wasn’t the only prelim fighter with a quick finish, as Yi Zha probably saw that and said “I can top that” — doing so with his sub-minute finish of Westin Wilson.
Zha was locked in, nailing Wilson with a left hand that stunned and dropped him. Wilson made it back to his feet, but not for long. Zha cracked him with a hard combination during his flurry of offense that put Wilson away for good in about 37 seconds.
Making a STATEMENT in Shanghai 😤
YiZha comes out HOT and grabs the first round knockout 🫡
Zha has a history of first-round finishes, but most of them have been by submission. You’d have to go back to his 2019 second-round finish of Tenglige to find his last KO/TKO win prior to UFC Shanghai.
Zha has been featured in more Road to UFC cards than actual UFC Fight Nights; however, hopefully this gives us a taste that we can see more from Zha in the future.
Hit – Kyle Daukaus Says “I’m Back!”
I could give a miss here for Michel Pereira suffering his third straight loss, but I feel that’d be taking away from the bigger story. Once upon time, the Daukaus brothers were prominent prospects in the UFC. But things didn’t work out and both were released.
On late notice, however, Kyle Daukaus made the most of his second chance, finishing Pereira in just 43 seconds.
WELCOME BACK TO THE UFC WITH A KO 👊@KyleDaukaus' comeback starts with a knockout in under a minute ⏰
Daukaus quickly landed a right hand that dropped Pereira, and down came the ground-and-pound right after. A pair of elbows in particular were enough to put Pereira’s lights out and force Herb Dean to halt the action.
Since his first UFC run ended, Daukaus is now 4-0 and has been the CFFC welterweight champion. It has been an awesome redemption road built, and hopefully Daukaus will get to continue that momentum in his next UFC bout.
In the words of his walkout song, indeed, “The boys are back in town.”
Hit – Never Count Out Charles Johnson — Especially Against Prospects
Some have considered Charles Johnson to be one of the most underrated flyweights in the UFC, and for good reason. Just look at what he did when he and Lone’er Kavanagh faced off during the prelims.
Kavanagh was laying it into Johnson in the first round of the fight. There were a couple of times during that round where it looked like Kavanagh would finish him. After surviving a guillotine attempt during round two, Johnson was pressuring back. And it was a pair of elbows that changed everything. As Kavanagh was moving back with his hands down, Johnson saw the opening and took advantage, cracking Kavanagh and dropping him out cold to take his 0.
DON'T EVER COUNT HIM OUT 🤯@InnerGMMA_UFC puts a HUGE right hand to use tonight for a massive KO!
Johnson has held his own with some solid talent that 125 has to offer, and no one should be writing him off any more. In fact, throw him in there with a top-10 opponent next outing, and let’s see what he’s got against them.
Miss – Lone’er Kavanagh Probably Kicking Himself After KO Loss
It’s perhaps the most important rule in martial arts, mixed or not — protect yourself at all times, and that means keeping your hands up.
Lone’er Kavanagh was in control for a lot of this fight. But a tough veteran like Charles Johnson doesn’t go away easy. And sometimes in this sport, all it takes is that one moment where you let your guard down, that one moment of weakness, that one mistake. Kavanagh committed it, Johnson saw his opportunity, and Johnson took the win.
It’s a painful experience for Kavanagh, but hopefully he comes back a stronger, better fighter for this. Sometimes we, not just as fighters, but as humans, need to eat our Ls in order to grow. I hope that’s what happens for Kavanagh here.
Miss – Kiefer Crosbie’s Heart, MMA Stigma Gets Him Punished
This one is just sad. Bless Kiefer Crosbie for wanting to channel the spirit of Anthony Smith and not just take the DQ win. But maybe he should have, because after getting hit with the illegal shot, he was quickly stopped by Taiyilake Nueraji.
Crosbie was hit with an illegal knee in the first round and was bloodied. He seemed out of it, but the doctor cleared him, and Crosbie elected to continue. About 30 seconds later, the fight was over, with Nueraji taking advantage of the situation for an easy TKO.
Finishing the fight on the ground 💪
Nueraji Taiyilake earns the TKO in his debut on short notice! 😤
Unfortunately, this was a no-win situation. The toxic cesspool known as the MMA fanbase is harping on him for not taking the DQ win. But what if he had done so? I guarantee people would have been telling him he’s a coward, not a man, and a whole bunch of terms I can’t say on this professional platform. And don’t tell he wouldn’t have, because, you, dear reader, know people would have.
And the sad part is Crosbie is now 0-3 in the UFC, so he’s liable to get cut. I hope not; that would be cruel of Dana White and company to do. I think they need to give him another opportunity to make up for this really bad situation. And it would be priceless (yes, in a bad way) if someone (be it White or anyone in this MMA space), who praised Anthony Smith when he didn’t take the easy DQ win against Jon Jones at UFC 235, and who are part of this mindset of wanting tough-guy fighters with a lot of grit and fight in them, shame Kiefer Crosbie for his choice in that Octagon.
Now…if we’re going to blame someone other than Crosbie, why is Marc Goddard getting a lot of blame? We talk about lack of accountability for officials and the frustration of referee mistakes, and here’s Goddard actually taking two points — a rarity in this sport. And it was the right move! If the doctor cleared Crosbie, then isn’t it Crosbie’s choice. I, personally, would like to know what the ringside physician was thinking to clear him quickly and not encourage Crosbie and Goddard to give Crosbie more of the allotted five minutes than Crosbie took? What even made the physician decide that Crosbie could continue?
And for those who say “Well, good, because I don’t like all this extra waiting around, especially when I’m up in the early hours of the morning when I didn’t have to…” — I say zip it. When you’re the fouled fighter in the Octagon, you let me know. Then let’s see how your opinion stands.
Miss – The Struggles Of Lack Of Heavyweight Talent Continues
Sergei Pavlovich vs. Waldo Cortes-Acosta was positioned as an important matchup when it comes to the heavyweight title picture, since they entered Nos. 3 and 6, respectively, in the heavyweight rankings. All this matchup ended up doing was showing just how lifeless the UFC’s heavyweight division is.
Pavlovich landed the heavier and cleaner strikes throughout the fight, damaging Cortes-Acosta but not doing enough to score the finish. Cortes-Acosta barely found his rhythm, with perhaps the exception for the third round. And while Pavlovich was methodical in his punching, it was a performance that didn’t exactly set the world on fire.
Keeping his top 5 ranking 💪@SPavlovich13 earns a UD victory today!
I get it; both men were looking for prime division in the heavyweight title picture (which is easier to grab these days than previous). But when the bar you clear as a fight is, Derrick Lewis vs. Francis Ngannou, then I think there’s an issue. And it doesn’t make me want to see Tom Aspinall vs. Sergei Pavlovich 2 anytime soon.
Man, you consider this fight, with some of the supposed best heavyweight has to offer, combined with Jon Jones wasting months of Tom Aspinall’s prime, I really feel bad for Aspinall.
Miss – Brian Ortega’s Weight Mishap And The Co-Main Event That Shouldn’t Have Been
Let’s be serious and clear: No way in heck should this fight have happened. None. Whatsoever. Brian Ortega looked terrible on the scales, and he looked terrible in this fight. Heck, this fight was just plain bad, period, and after Ortega’s mishap, it should have been moved to three rounds.
Ortega was completely outstruck 23-2 in the opening round, and that pretty much set the pace for the entirety of the first four rounds. Ortega did land a rocking shot in the fifth and desperately tried for a triangle choke in that same round, but he was completely no match for Sterling.
It wasn’t exactly a win that’d give Sterling a future title shot, but with another win or two, he’s probably challenging Volkanovski (or whoever holds the gold at that point). At this point, I’d just like to know the full story as to what happened with that weight cut. And regardless, Brian Ortega should be fighting at lightweight from this point forward, no exceptions or excuses.
Hit – Johnny Walker: The Most Unpredictable
There are times when Johnny Walker doesn’t look great. And then there are times like the UFC Shanghai main event, where he delivers a highlight finish and shows the potential most saw in him back when he made his UFC debut in 2019.
The thing is it didn’t look that way when Walker faked a glove touch to try and score a takedown. Zhang Mingyang easily placed him on his back and pounded on him, looking like he’d extend his streak of first-round finishes. Walker survived the storm, however, and in the second round, his chopping low kicks did a number on Mingyang. Mingyang appeared to be injured by one of his kicks, which Walker followed up with some ground strikes before the fight was stopped.
Walker now snaps a three-fight winless skid, and if he can pull off a win over a top-10 contender in his next outing, he’d prove that he’s once again a viable name in the light heavyweight title picture.
After Brian Ortega’s condition at the UFC Shanghai weigh-ins caused a lot of concern, his co-main event bout with Aljamain Sterling ultimately seemed to prove that the fight going on — let alone it being five rounds — was not worth it.
Sterling completely dominated the opening round by default, as he outstruck Ortega, who barely had much activity, 23-2. Ortega continued to not do much of anything in the second round — a round that saw the two get booed by the crowd and Herb Dean controversially pausing the action after Ortega claimed a punch to be an eye poke, and Sterling allowed the break instead of capitalizing.
Sterling continued to use his strikes to his advantage during the third round, mixing in leg kicks that busted up one of Ortega’s legs. Ortega tried to get a flurry going in the final minute of the round, but his pace dwindled again during the fourth round. Sterling scored a takedown in the final minute of the fourth round and landed some ground strikes on Ortega, who was desperate to land anything.
Sterling scored another pair of takedowns in the fifth round but he had to survive a rocking shot from Ortega, as well as a desperation triangle. Sterling ended up sweeping the judges’ scorecards.
Aljamain Sterling Wins Lackluster Decision Over Brian Ortega In UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
After Brian Ortega missed weight this should’ve been made a 3 rounder #UFCShanghai
What an absolutely awful fight. Sterling is one of the most boring fighters in the UFC and Ortega flew him and his team all the way to China NOT to fight.
This fight had been scheduled to be a featherweight bout but was changed following weight-cut complications for Ortega. It had initially been reported during UFC Shanghai early weigh-ins that “T-City” was transported to the hospital and the fight was off.
Sterling is now 2-1 at featherweight since moving up after the end of his bantamweight title run. He’d use his post-fight interview to call out current champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Ortega has now lost four of his last five, and his future is most likely at lightweight following a pair of fights that saw him have weight cut issues.
In spite of a scare that the fight was off, the UFC Shanghai co-main event featuring Brian Ortega and Aljamain Sterling will remain on. Some people in the MMA community, however, if the bout should be called off after all.
It all started with a now-deleted post to X (formerly Twitter) by Alex Beuhein of MMA Mania, who stated that the fight between Ortega and Sterling was off. According to Beuhein, Ortega fainted and hit his head while cutting weight, resulting in him needing to go to the hospital.
🚨 BREAKING: Brian Ortega is OUT of his fight against Aljamain Sterling due to a weight issue
About an hour later, new reports surfaced that Ortega did not leave for the hospital and the fight remained on, albeit at a new catchweight of 153 pounds.
UFC commentator Brendan Fitzgerald would take to social media to provide an update on the situation, claiming while the fainting and hospital reports were not true, there was “drama” and Ortega was not going to be able to make the featherweight limit.
Ortega looks like a guy that fainted and went to the hospital and 'magically' was cleared to still fight on the card because fighter safety is only important when they want to use it as an excuse. https://t.co/gmqQ6BdkbR
This is Ortega’s second straight fight that has seen him experience weight cutting difficulties. He was scheduled to face Diego Lopes at UFC 303 in a featherweight bout. One day prior, Ortega’s weight difficulties would result in the bout being moved to lightweight before the bout was scrapped and postponed to Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in September.
Ortega would lose the fight, making it three losses in his last four, starting from an unsuccessful challenge of Alexander Volkanovski for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 266.
Sterling is 1-1 since moving up to featherweight, defeating Calvin Kattar at UFC 300 and losing to Movsar Evloev at UFC 310.
UFC featherweight contender Brian Ortega has said that he’s heading into UFC Shanghai with a ‘WARTEGA’ state of mind.
This weekend, Brian Ortega will make his return to the cage when he squares off with Aljamain Sterling. The fight looks set to be one of the biggest of the month, especially given the stakes involved at 145 pounds. Both men are hoping to make a push for a title opportunity, and both are known for their work on the ground.
With that being said, Brian Ortega has certainly used his hands effectively in the past. In addition to picking up some big knockouts, he also managed to drop Alexander Volkanovski in their previous title showdown. Now, he’s hoping to do the same to Sterling.
In a recent interview, Brian Ortega made it crystal clear that a new version of him will be heading into battle in Shanghai.
Brian Ortega looks ahead to next chapter in his career
“The next chapter is WARTEGA. It’s just time that I not care and just go to war. I do good when I just go to war. Sometimes I try to care about the intricacies of the point scoring and this and that and I get too deep into that, and it’s like, bro, let’s just fight, man. Let’s go to war and let’s not do it in a dumb way.”
“For me where I’m at is just fighting, man, that’s kind of where I’m at. I don’t know if it… yeah. For me it’s just fighting, going to war, and just loving what I do.”
A major UFC card being in town often turns into the most desirable destination for celebrities who fancy themselves as fight fans. Though these names might be used to the dazzling lights of stardom, it doesn’t mean that they’re immune to watching their favorite athletes go through it inside the Octagon.
This is the case for the actor turned academy award winning director Mel Gibson who is one of the reoccurring faces that is shown on screen during the PPV broadcasts. The 69-year old recently appeared on an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience where at one point, the conversation inevitably got onto mixed martial arts.
Having a personal attachment to a fighter is what turns so many people into MMA fans but that is taken to a whole new level of investment if you personally know the person who is stepping into the cage to put it all on the line. Gibson experienced this in a fight that he said nearly brought him to tears as he watched it unfold.
Brian Ortega may be best known for his elite submission skills but he has also displayed his remarkable toughness several times at the highest level. At UFC 266 in September of 2021, he challenged for the featherweight title for the second time when he faced Alexander Volkanovski in the main event.
Despite coming incredibly close to submitting the champion in one of the best fights of the year, Ortega took a lot of damage from the defending champion over the five round duration which saw Volkanovski retain the title via a unanimous decision. Gibson spoke about how this fight in particular was a tough watch for him more than any other because of his personal connection to the challenger.
“I’m addicted to the UFC, I love it. But I know that these guys are…I feel kind of sorry for them,” Gibson said. “I knew one of the guys fairly well, and usually I’m pretty immune to [nausea]. He was fighting Alexander Volkanovski and it was Brian Ortega, and he was getting his a** handed to him. He almost got him a couple of times.
“But because I knew Brian, it was like my son was in there. I almost started crying, and it got to me, ‘I should probably feel like this about all these guys but I don’t know them as well’”
Brian Ortega has not been the most active contender in the featherweight division for some time and yet, due to his high position in the rankings, he’s fairly consistently called out by his fellow 145-pounders. Though for a long time, it seemed like saying his name likely wouldn’t lead to anything, “T-City” did fight twice last year for the first time since 2018.
After submitting Yair Rodriguez last February, the former two-time title challenger suffered a decision loss to Diego Lopes at UFC 306 in September meaning that he currently sits at #6 in the rankings. Five spots below him is one of the division’s most exciting additions in recent years who has won seven in a row since fighting to a draw on his UFC debut back in 2019.
Lerone Murphy is remarkably the same age as Ortega but he still feels like the next generation of featherweight contenders in some ways. He also fought twice in 2024 where he secured his two biggest wins to date over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige.
Having missed out on the opportunity to fight on home soil last year at UFC 304 in Manchester, he wants to put on a show for the UK fans when the Octagon returns to London, England on March 22 for a Fight Night event. When looking at the fighters who are above him in the rankings right now, a fight with Ortega would make a lot of sense for Murphy right now.
“T-City” is still a highly regarded opponent who is coming off of a loss meaning that it makes sense for him to fight down the rankings next time out. “The Miracle” looked to shoot his shot via social media by getting the fans excited about the possibility of him facing off with the submission specialist at the O2 Arena.
And in the aftermath of UFC 306 (Noche UFC), MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.
Men’s Pound-For-Pound: Merab Dvalishvili closed out Saturday’s event with his long-awaited championship crowning. As a result, the bantamweight kingpin has debuted on the P4P list at #7, one position above interim heavyweight titleholder Tom Aspinall. Further up, welterweight champ Belal Muhammad (#5) has jumped his middleweight counterpart Dricus Du Plessis (#6).
The defeated O’Malley, meanwhile, has slid seven positions to #13. Dvalishvili’s friend and teammate Aljamain Sterling is out of the top 15 entirely following the Georgian’s arrival.
An impressive performance on the biggest stage of them all 😮💨@MerabDvalishvil is the NEW bantamweight champion of the world 👏
Women’s Pound-for-Pound: Valentina Shevchenko is once again the flyweight queen, and she’s also back on the P4P mountaintop. “Bullet” has climbed two places back to top spot, while previous #1 Alexa Grasso has fallen to #3 following her lopsided loss to Shevchenko in their trilogy.
Women’s Strawweight: No changes.
Women’s Flyweight: The sole change at 125 pounds has seen Grasso slip back to top contender status, swapping positions with now-champ Shevchenko.
Women’s Bantamweight: Norma Dumont secured the biggest win of her career in the Noche UFC featured prelim, outpointing a badly damaged Irene Aldana. The result has seen the Brazilian ascend by three positions to #5 at 135 pounds. The defeated Mexican, on the other hand, is down just one spot to #6.
Flyweight: In the male 125-pound weight class, Asu Almabayev has moved up one place to share #14 with the recently retired Matt Schnell.
Bantamweight: Like in the women’s flyweight division, the only change in the men’s 135-pound division came with the switch on the throne. With Dvalishvili now occupying it, O’Malley is the #1-ranked bantamweight.
Featherweight: The biggest climber this week is the charging Diego Lopes, who got the better of former two-time title challenger and longtime top-five contender Brian Ortega on Saturday night. The Mexico-residing Brazilian has risen by a mammoth 10 positions to #3. “T-City,” meanwhile, has been relegated to #5.
He continues to show why he's a fan favorite 👊
After his 5th straight win who do you want @DiegoLopesMMA in the Octagon with next? #UFC306
Brian Ortega recently became embroiled in a fiery altercation with a fan who hurled comments at him about ex-girlfriend, Tracy Cortez, following his defeat at Noche UFC 306.
“T-City” finally met Diego Lopes in the Octagon on the main card of one of the most highly anticipated pay-per-view events last weekend at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. However, Ortega never found his footing in the bout, as Lopes came dangerously close to finishing him in the opening round. From there, the rising Brazilian star unleashed a relentless assault throughout the fight.
Ortega and Lopes were originally set to face off in a featherweight showdown as the co-main event of UFC 303 in June. However, the 33-year-old Californian had to withdraw on the day of the event due to health complications stemming from a difficult weight cut, even after the fight was moved to lightweight.
Ortega Shows Frustration When Linked To Cortez
As Ortega made his way backstage after a disheartening loss to Lopes, a fan in the crowd taunted him with a cruel remark, shouting that, after losing the fight, Cortez surely wouldn’t want him now.
“Tracy ain’t not want you no more,” the fan said. “Tracy’s done with you.”
What the naysayer likely didn’t anticipate was that ‘T-City,’ already reeling from his defeat, would charge at him in a fit of fury, ready to confront the taunts head-on. However, before things could escalate, security intervened, pulling Ortega back and preventing the situation from spiraling out of control.
Brian Ortega rushes stands after disrespectful fan heckles him after his loss at #NocheUFC. 👀
The romantic connection between Ortega and Cortez became one of the UFC’s most talked-about love stories. The pair dated for nearly two years and were even rumored to be engaged at one point. Frequently seen together at UFC events or supporting each other from their respective corners, the couple never hesitated to flaunt their affection on social media.
However, the couple called it quits early last year, and their highly publicized separation fueled a flurry of speculation. Yet, despite the public drama, the real reason behind their breakup remains cloaked in mystery.
Diego Lopes beat Brian Ortega via decision at UFC 306 to rise to the top ranks of the UFC featherweight division. He almost secured a finish in the first, but unsurprisingly, Ortega showed unbelievable toughness and survived until the final bell.
Lopes earned a takedown and controlled Ortega for nearly three minutes while the latter struggled to get going throughout the fight. The prospect outstruck the former title challenger and fans are excited to see him face the likes of Max Holloway or Ilia Topuria for UFC featherweight gold.
Lopes is the new talk of the town after his dominant win, but former UFC champ Michael Bisping has found a silver lining for Ortega as well…
Michael Bisping Explains Why Diego Lopes Couldn’t Finish Brian Ortega At UFC 306
Bisping heavily appreciated Lopes for getting the better of Ortega at UFC 306 while reacting to the event on his YouTube channel. However, he believes that losing via decision is better for the veteran than being finished.
“Lopes, was kind of, he wanted to test his ground game. He wanted to send a message, he wanted to choke him out, and beat Brian Ortega at his own game. Because of that, he kind of allowed Brian to get back into the fight and see the final bell. There’s a moral kind of victory if you’re Brian Ortega and you see the final bell. Trust me, as a fighter, you want to lose by decision rather than getting finished. And there were finishes multiple times for Diego Lopes.”
“The Count” explained that trying to submit Ortega on the ground worked against Lopes. “T-City” used his experience to get a guard quickly and rejuvenate himself.
Bisping had an interesting theory about the knockdown in the first too. He claimed that the right hand knocked Ortega out and the left hook pushed him back to his senses. The former UFC champ feels the fight could have been stopped early if the Brazilian fighter stuck to striking.
Although he couldn’t get a finish, Lopes’ stock is higher than ever. He can either fight another top-ranked contender in a title eliminator or get the opportunity to grab the UFC featherweight title next.
On Saturday night, the mixed martial arts leader returned for its latest pay-per-view event.
Noche UFC… I mean UFC 306… I mean Riyadh Season Noche UFC — that’s far too much choice for my brain to handle — was no ordinary MMA card. It was the very first live sporting event to take place inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere.
Dana White’s initial anger at the MGM for not alerting him to the PBC’s quick claim to the September 14 date to stage an always highly anticipated Canelo Álvarez outing birthed a new opportunity. The chance to put on an elaborate and expensive spectacle. The possibility to move beyond the arena setup we’re used to.
With great risk comes great reward. But with great superlatives — and boy did White and other UFC figures throw them around when describing what fans could expect — comes pressure to deliver.
Did they? More on that later.
Tasked with delivering in a different realm of entertainment were the fighters themselves, chief among them the four athletes entering the Octagon with gold on the line. The main event saw Sean O’Malley defend his belt against Merab Dvalishvili in a clash I’d have comfortably placed as the toughest to predict in 2024 in the lead-up. Oh, and the second toughest to predict came right beforehand as flyweight queen Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko completed their historic trilogy.
Elsewhere, the hottest rising name in the game Diego Lopes had his chance to climb into the featherweight top five against Brian Ortega, while Mexican standouts Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez looked to celebrate their nation’s independence in style.
But did all those names — and the $20 million Sphere show — come together to put on an exciting night of fights? Let’s find out with all the positives and negatives from Noche UFC 306.
Is getting value for money just not a thing in North America?
Best believe that if I’m spending thousands on cageside tickets to a UFC event (probably should have chosen a career other than MMA writer…), I’m not missing a punch, kick, eye poke, low blow, stance switch or damn syllable that comes out of Bruce Buffer’s mouth.
It seems my fellow Europeans largely feel the same. It is rare to see a super empty venue upon the start of any preliminary card on this side of the pond. In the US, however, it seems to be the opposite. Countless T-Mobile Arena-held PPVs have shown that even the top lineups and spectacles don’t draw those affluent enough for the top seats to the venue on time.
But for the very first live sporting event at the Sphere, that was bound to change. Right? RIGHT?! Miraculously, no. We had the usual selection of absent attendees.
Is it really too much to ask for fighting events to be watched by people who actually like and are there for fighting? Can we not have some sort of 20-question quiz to weed out the fakes? Perhaps that would have given the opening fight of Noche UFC 306 less of an Apex feel to it.
Some empty seats probably didn’t warrant a full negative here, I admit. But it pissed me off and, well, this is my editorial, so that’s that.
The talk of Las Vegas for the past week has been the famed Mexican fighting spirit and toughness. We didn’t get a strong display of that in fight one at Noche UFC 306, but boy did we in the second.
Mexicali’s Edgar Cháirez may not have had many bouts in the UFC, but he’s done his nation proud plenty of times. From going toe-to-toe with the undefeated Tatsuro Taira in defeat on just two weeks’ notice to a first-round triangle choke submission against Daniel Lacerda, “Puro Chicali’s” Octagon fights (no contest aside) haven’t been short on highlights.
Well, we can add the best yet to that after Saturday night. In fact, we can add one of the best highlights of 2024 to the end-of-year reels.
The Mexican produced that in his clash with Joshua Van inside the Sphere. Cháirez found himself in all sorts of trouble midway through round two when he was badly hurt to the liver and the victim of an absolute onslaught of hooks and uppecuts.
As he turned his back against the cage, Mark Smith looked a second away from stepping in. What happened next defied any and all expectation, as “Puro Chicali” uncorked a spinning backfist to rock Van and turn the tables.
Unfortunately for Cháirez, that moment of success wasn’t enough to carry him to victory on the scorecards. But when it comes to the “fight like a Mexican” saying, he fulfilled that and then some to bring some momentum back to the Sphere show alongside an impressive Van.
We completed the trifecta of snoozefest, barnburner, and finish in the opening three fights of the night at Noche UFC 306. And when it comes to the first stoppage inside the Sphere, it was certainly worth the brief wait.
Ketlen Souza continued the trend set by Cháirez and Van by delivering utter violence. Poor Yazmin Jauregui essentially fell to both a knockout and a submission, first being flattened after falling on the much worse side of an exchange of left hooks.
As the Mexican barely woke back up and was probably filled with confusion about the spherical building she found herself in, her Brazilian counterpart met her on the ground, locked in a rear-naked choke, and rendered her unconscious again.
As far as the first finish to take place inside the Sphere, Souza couldn’t have delivered much better.
Souza definitely held on for an extra second, and that is not good to see. We’ve certainly seen more egregious instances of athletes not releasing submissions, but that doesn’t make the Brazilian’s decision to keep choking an unconscious opponent for longer than required any less disappointing.
Positive – A Mexican Warrior
This is the second positive that focuses on a losing Mexican. While a number of results went against the nation on Saturday’s preliminary card, the likes of Cháirez and Irene Aldana did not go down without a fight.
Off the top of my head, it’s certainly up there. But the former title challenger was not deterred, continuing her immense forward pressure through punches coming back her way that no doubt turned he cut from a bad blemish to a gaping wound in the final frame. Aldana’s commitment to throwing the kitchen sink in pursuit of a finish even saw her using her shirt as a blood towel in-between charges forward.
Aldana may not have gotten the result she wanted, but you won’t see many displays of toughness like that. And for that to come after a Fight of the Year contender in 2023, the Mexican is on a bloody run of brutality.
Of course, this fight wouldn’t have been a positive overall without the input of Norma Dumont, who showed her talents fighting off the back foot to actually outbox a boxing specialist in Aldana.
Her performance was impressive, and provided that her weight issues are a thing of the past, the Brazilian is well and truly in title contention at 135 pounds.
Positive – THAT’S How You Open
Raul Rosas Jr. did not really get the memo on what was required to enter bonus contention at the Sphere — or how to open the card at such a special event. Ronaldo Rodriguez and Ode’ Osbourne did.
Saturday’s prelims were strong aside from the dud of a first bout, which was quick to kill the immediate momentum that existed thanks to the intrigue surrounding the Sphere. But when it came to the PPV opener, Rodriguez and Osbourne put on a flyweight firecracker (yes alliteration was taught in junior school, and no, I won’t abandon it as I near 26) that only added to the occasion after the opening two chapters of “For Mexico, For All Time.”
Rodriguez was almost left with egg on his face after his confident walkout and in-cage dancing were quickly followed by a vicious right hand by “The Jamaican Sensation” that appeared set to see the Mexican finished in one round.
Somehow, someway, Rodriguez survived. And more than that, he went about delivering offense of his own en route to taking rounds two and three for the victory on the judges’ scorecards.
I really do hate having to include judging in the negative column because I’d like to avoid re-enforcing people’s often warped view of the scoring criteria and what constitutes a ‘robbery’.
But this can’t be ignored.
Two judges scored the main card opener 29-27 for Rodriguez, granting him a 10-8 in round two. The idea that the Mexican did enough for that and Osbourne didn’t in the first stanza is ludicrous.
The culprits? No prizes for correctly guessing Adalaide Byrd, who evidently has the job security of a worker walking in on their boss cheating on his wife with his assistant to still be judging at the highest level. She joined Ron McCarthy in turning in a real puzzler.
It would have been nice to emerge from such an incredible fight without a judging controversy. But nice things are difficult to come by in MMA.
#UFC306 Official Scorecard: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs Ode Osbourne
Whether down to the magnitude of the event — Sphere debut, Mexican Independence Day celebration, and all that jazz — or simply the fighters put on the lineup by the UFC, the sheer number of matchups that delivered fireworks on Saturday night was obscene.
The battle to secure Fight of the Night honors was already three contenders deep when Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics entered the Octagon. They stole it in emphatic fashion and have likely left themselves as the current leaders in the race for 2024’s Fight of the Year.
The star of the show was round three, which began with the Mexican dropping his Argentine foe with a brutal elbow, transitioned to Ribovics pursuing a finish after putting Zellhuber on wobbly legs, and ended with both men trading bombs to the horn.
The fight was utter insanity and, incredibly, once again marked an instance of a Mexican displaying immense toughness and resolve but ultimately falling short when it came to the decision.
But since then, Lopes has continued to impress more and more with each outing. And after doing so with his game attitude against same-day opponent Dan Ige in late June, the up-and-comer let his incredible skills do the talking inside the Sphere, first by dropping “T-City” early and then by dominating the remainder of the contest.
Does Lopes beat champion Ilia Topuria or UFC 308 challenger Max Holloway? Anything can happen, but I don’t think so. But will he give us an entertaining title fight against either man? Absolutely.
The champion may well have been fortunate to escape last year’s Mexican Independence Day celebration with the title still in her possession, but that fight was the furthest thing from the shutout “Bullet” pitched inside the Sphere.
The main negative here is Grasso’s performance, which peaked at some submission attempts that were never really close to putting Shevchenko in too much trouble. And when it came to altering the course of the fight, not much of use came out of the Mexican’s corner, who appeared resigned to simply urging the champ to strike as if she was choosing for the bout to hit the mat.
Shevchenko’s performance was smart and unwavering, and does not contribute to this negative. But after a thrilling main card up to that point — and the expectation of a highly competitive clash — the first women’s trilogy in UFC history was a complete disappointment.
First and foremost were some strange antics from Merab Dvalishvili, who spent the opening seconds screaming at Sean O’Malley’s corner, where Tim Welch was evidently up to his old tricks again. Referee Herb Dean warned him for “excessive coaching.” Does ‘attempting to trick the opposition fighter’ really fall into that bracket? Also, what could have come from said warning should it have been ignored? Are we talking a WWE-style banishment to the back for the coach?
Speaking of Herb…
What on Earth was going through his head toward the end? The veteran official was throwing around some misplaced “keep working” comments during grappling exchanges but it was the final seconds when he went utterly mad, urging the pair to “work” as Dvalishvili circled to protect his guaranteed title win. When did referees’ job description include ‘try to force athletes into a Max Holloway vs. Justin Gaethje ending’?
Dvalishvili deserves credit for an impressive display of dominance. Wow is he relentless, and wow is his cardio legendary. But when the main talking points from a pay-per-view main event don’t include the fight itself, it has to go into the negative column.
ELEVEN IN A ROW FOR THE MACHINE@MerabDvalishvil is taking home bantamweight GOLD tonight!
It would be remiss of me not to conclude this by commenting on what was, let’s be honest, the main show.
It’s important to note the sheer number of prominent fans and pundits online who decided the Sphere experiment was a failure within five minutes of the prelims. Not only had we been told to expect the big stuff during the main card, but did they really expect one of the card’s main drawing points to be revealed prior to the pay-per-view? For free?!
I have my fair share of criticism for the UFC, but anyone who gave their review of the Sphere’s use on Saturday night during the opening fights was simply always going to be negative about the experience whatever they witnessed.
Sure, things started off slowly, but the increasing spectacle built anticipation heading into the PPV main card, and then things well and truly picked up. While I had little doubt that things would be impressive in-person, I was skeptical about the extent to which the experience would translate to television.
How did it translate? Well, very well.
Even on a desktop screen, the 90-second films had the kind of trippy effect I imagine those in attendance felt (amplified, of course). And the ‘worlds’ that the arena transformed into for each fight were spectacular. The final film wasn’t the strongest and felt like a slightly anticlimactic end, but that by no means takes away from the overall show.
And a word on the ring girls, whose attire matched each chapter of the main card film and provided a fantastic aesthetic. All eyes were on the Sphere, but small details like the selection of ring girls and their elaborate clothing made this even feel even grander.
Now, if you showed me the event without any knowledge of the cost that White and co. have long discussed and told me what we saw was the result of $20 million investment, I’d be shocked. But I admit to being out of the loop when it comes to the price of technology like this, and MMA media doesn’t pay well enough for me to have any grasp of what would be worth $20 million.
The other point to highlight is the UFC CEO’s pre-event remarks, which honestly set the bar to an unattainable level. The event was unbelievable, and I was in awe of the visuals in a way I never have been before when watching a sporting event. In that regard, mission accomplished for the UFC.
But I can’t help feeling the overall consensus would have been stronger had White not spent months on a tour of superlatives that only widened the chance for some detractors to feel underwhelmed.
Fight fans and UFC featherweight division – if you didn’t believe in Diego Lopes, do you now?
In a fight that was originally supposed to happen at UFC 303 before Brian Ortega’s day-of pull-out due to a 103-degree fever, Lopes ended up making a statement scoring a win in a featured bout at Noche UFC 306.
Lopes managed to drop Ortega in the fight’s opening minute, but Ortega managed to survive a follow-up flurry from the rising featherweight contender.
The former featherweight title challenger was rocked again during the second round, with Lopes landing a head kick before knocking him down with a vicious leg kick. That combined with a series of leg kicks throughout the fight appeared to do damage and leave a welt on one of Ortega’s legs.
Lopes rocked Ortega hard with a combination in the third round, dropping him once more, though Ortega was able to get up and throw down until the final horn.
Diego Lopes Puts On Dominant Display In Victory Over Former Title Challenger Brian Ortega
Lopes earned respect in his UFC debut, a short-notice loss to Movsar Evolev at UFC 288, and he’s now won five straight since.
Ortega, meanwhile, has now lost three of his last four, including an unsuccessful challenge of Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title at UFC 266 in September 2021.
Aljamain Sterling defended the UFC bantamweight championship three times before moving up to featherweight. His TKO loss to Sean O’Malley has helped teammate and friend Merab Dvalishvili to get his well-deserved title shot, though.
Sterling has no plans to move down to bantamweight despite his featherweight debut against Calvin Kattar getting a mixed response in MMA circles. With eight takedowns and almost 11 minutes of control time, he completely shut down the striker, but the bout lacked excitement.
Aljo is scheduled to fight Movsar Evloev at UFC 307, and he’s already laid down the plan to reach featherweight gold in the promotion after his next fight…
Aljamain Sterling Discusses His Future In The UFC Featherweight Division If He Wins Against Movsar Evloev
Sterling was interviewed on the Helen Yee Sports YouTube channel recently. After backing his training partner to win the title at UFC 306, the former UFC bantamweight champ opened up about his plans to reach another division’s top.
“Funk Master” questioned the UFC ranking Arnold Allen over Evloev even though his upcoming opponent beat Allen via unanimous decision earlier this year. Regardless, his aim is to enter the top 5 ranking with a solid win over Evloev and challenge the winner of Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes in a title eliminator.
“I beat a guy like that, I think that puts me in a top-five conversation and then maybe the winner of Diego Lopes vs. Ortega. I fight that guy and then I fight for a world title.”
If everything goes according to this plan, Sterling can very well look forward to fighting for the UFC featherweight champion after a couple of fights. He acknowledged that Evloev is a high-level grappler and his cardio could be a problem in their bout.
“It’s a tough fight. Two high-level grapplers and, I think I just edge him out in every department. The only thing, that if I’m being fair, the only thing that Movsar might have on me that he’s been able to show of late that I haven’t shown is the cardio. Because he can go at that pace the whole time, kind of, reminds of a Merab and I’m not ignorant to that. I can break things down and not be biased, but I know we’ll be ready to go 15 minutes.”
“Funk Master” also understands that he has to get a finish in his next fight to get more fans supporting his rise to the title. As a result, we might see some urgency to get a submission from Sterling as soon as the fight begins.
After unseating Aljamain Sterling in August 2023 and withstanding a challenge from Marlon Vera in Miami this past March, “Sugar” is next tasked with stalling the championship ambitions of Merab Dvalishvili to continue his reign atop the 135-pound mountain.
The celebration of Mexican Independence Day will also see the nation’s own champion in action, with Alexa Grasso set to defend her flyweight gold in a trilogy contest opposite Valentina Shevchenko.
Ahead of the event, all 20 fighters successfully made weight. With that, every fight has remained intact, and all that remains on Friday night is for the athletes to face off one final time at the UFC 306 ceremonial weigh-ins!
Check out a live stream via the official UFC YouTube channel below, commencing at 10 p.m. ET.
Topping the lineup will be reigning UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley, who is tasked with getting the better of the surging Merab Dvalishvili if he’s to record a second successful title defense and stall the Georgian’s bid to exact revenge for his teammate Aljamain Sterling’s loss to “Sugar” last year.
Before they go to battle, the co-main event will see Alexa Grasso making a defense of her flyweight gold at the Mexican Independence Day celebration for the second straight year. After her Noche UFC headline rematch with Valentina Shevchenko ended in a draw in 2023, the pair will complete their trilogy inside the Sphere after coaching opposite one another on this year’s edition of The Ultimate Fighter.
Also set to make the walk on Saturday night will be the likes of featherweight fan favorite Diego Lopes, former 135-pound title challenger Irene Aldana, and highly touted youngster Raul Rosas Jr.
Ahead of the event, you can get some help from the group of experts at MMA News by checking out their predictions for the Noche UFC 306 main card here.
Noche UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Betting Odds
Listed below are the latest betting odds for UFC 306 (as of 9/13), courtesy of DraftKings.
Main Card:
Sean O’Malley (-125) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (+105)
Alexa Grasso (-130) vs. Valentina Shevchenko (+110)
Brian Ortega (+164) vs. Diego Lopes (-198)
Daniel Zellhuber (-230) vs. Esteban Ribovics (+190)
Ronaldo Rodriguez (-155) vs. Ode’ Osbourne (+130)
Preliminary Card:
Irena Aldana (-115) vs. Norma Dumont (-105)
Manuel Torres (-135) vs. Ignacio Bahamondes (+114)
Tasked with aiding in an unforgettable night are a pair of championship headliners, the second of which will see bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley top the lineup in defense of his gold against the in-form Merab Dvalishvili.
The Mexican Independence Day celebration will also see one of the country’s own defending her title, with Alexa Grasso completing her trilogy with all-time great Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event.
Elsewhere, fast-rising featherweight fan favorite Diego Lopes and former two-time title challenger Brian Ortega give their matchup a second go, while the likes of Irene Aldana and Raul Rosas Jr. also take to the cage.
Noche UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili Weigh-In Results
Noche UFC 306 takes place Saturday, September 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 10 PM ET/7 PM PT, with the preliminary card starting at 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT.
See above for a replay of the Noche UFC 306 weigh-ins via MMA Fighting, and check out the full results below!
Main Card:
Bantamweight Championship Main Event: Sean O’Malley (135lbs) vs. Merab Dvalishvili (134lbs)
We’re deep into Noche UFC (UFC 306) fight week, meaning it was recently time for the fighters set to be in action on September 14 to take to the stage and answer some questions.
Setting the stage for the headliners will be another title fight, with reigning flyweight queen Alexa Grasso looking to record a second victory over the great Valentina Shevchenko in their trilogy, which comes after their rematch ended in a draw at last year’s inaugural Noche UFC event.
As is customary during major fight weeks, the athletes took to the stage on Thursday for the pre-fight press conference. The Noche UFC edition saw every fighter set to make the walk inside the Sphere in two days’ time with mic in hand.
Check out a replay of the presser below via the UFC’s official YouTube channel, followed by all the highlights and faceoffs.
Noche UFC 306 Pre-Fight Press Conference Stream
Noche UFC 306 Press Conference Highlights
"Dreams come true!"@MerabDvalishvil has been waiting a long time to fight for the belt 👊
Noche UFC (UFC 306) is now only a couple of days away, and what better way to get hyped for the upcoming pay-per-view than with some MMA News staff predictions?
The main event will see Sean O’Malley make his second defense of the middleweight title. Following his crowning at the expense of Aljamain Sterling, “Sugar” stalled the championship ambitions of Marlon Vera this past March. He’s now tasked with repeating the feat against a teammate of Sterling’s, charging Georgian Merab Dvalishvili.
Elsewhere on the main card, the fast-rising Diego Lopes once again looks to reach the top five at the expense of Brian Ortega, while Mexican prospects Daniel Zellhuber and Ronaldo Rodriguez hope to make the most of their positions on the prominent card.
Noche UFC 306: MMA News Staff Predictions
Ahead of Saturday’s Noche UFC event, Kyle Dimond, Ryan Jarrell, Thomas Albano, Andrew Starc, Pranav Pandey, and Aakrit Sharma have provided their picks for the five matchups set for the main card.
Below, you can check out the current leaderboard through five cards.
Thomas Albano (19-5)
Ryan Jarrell (15-9)
Kyle Dimond (13-11)
Andrew Starc (7-7)
Pranav Pandey (1-4)
Aakrit Sharma (0-0)
And with that, it’s time for the team’s predictions for Noche UFC 306.
Flyweight: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne
Images: UFC.com
Kyle Dimond: Osbourne has fought some very tough opposition during his UFC career, but the back-to-back losses are the major concern here. On this night of all nights, it feels like the Mexican fighters are going to have some added momentum, which I think will carry Rodriguez through here by way of a submission. (Prediction: Ronaldo Rodriguez)
Ryan Jarrell: Rodriguez looked impressive in his UFC debut, winning by submission in the second round over Denys Bondar. Meanwhile, this will be Osbourne’s tenth fight inside the UFC Octagon. Osbourne has been stopped in his last two fights and desperately needs to secure a win or possibly face losing his job in the world’s largest promotion. This is a tough fight to pick because I expect Osbourne to come out dialed in and looking his best. Rodriguez is the favorite and I can see a path to victory for the younger fighter, but I am picking Osbourne to show some grit and win a tough fought decision. (Prediction: Ode’ Osbourne)
Thomas Albano: Rodriguez has been on an absolute tear ever since his 2020 loss on Dana White’s Contender Series. He’s won six straight, which includes four finishes – with Rodriguez winning his UFC debut by way of a second-round submission of Bondar. Osbourne has proven to be an exciting fighter in his own right. However, momentum is just simply not on his side. And when you look at the capabilities of both men, Rodriguez’s wrestling is more effective, and his fighting style is more dynamic. Rodriguez is continuing to develop into a well-rounded fighter, and this should help him to another finish on a big stage. (Prediction: Ronaldo Rodriguez)
Andrew Starc: Rodriguez is coming into this one off a submission win against Bondar in his UFC debut this past February. The 25-year-old Mexican is unbeaten in his last six fights, while Osbourne has lost three of his last four, including two via submission. Given the lack of grappling defense Osbourne displayed in his last bout, I think he might be ripe for a another sub in this one. (Prediction: Ronaldo Rodriguez)
Pranav Pandey: Rodriguez may still be flying under the radar, but he’s an absolute force inside the cage. His stunning submission victory over Bondar in his debut made it clear he’s anything but his “Lazy Boy” moniker. Rodriguez brings relentless forward pressure and pairs it with elite grappling skills, making him a dangerous opponent for anyone. On the other hand, Osbourne faces some tough questions about his recent form. Having been caught in submissions in his last two fights, along with showing signs of wear from previous battles, I just can’t envision this fight unfolding in favor of “The Jamaican Sensation.” (Prediction: Ronaldo Rodriguez)
Aakrit Sharma: Rodriguez showed toughness in his UFC debut and proved that he poses a submission threat on the ground as well. Osbourne, meanwhile, is coming off two straight submission losses and is unlikely to want the fight on the ground. I believe Rodriguez is the better fighter everywhere despite Osbourne boasting more experience in the UFC. Although “Lazy Boy” should try to take Osbourne down as a submission is his easiest path to victory, I’m predicting a knockout win for him. Osbourne tends to strike with his hands down, giving a sniper like Rodriguez a ton of space to land the perfect knockout blow. (Prediction: Ronaldo Rodriguez)
Consensus: 5-1 Ronaldo Rodriguez
Lightweight: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics
Images: UFC.com
Kyle Dimond: This should be an absolute firecracker. Ribovics has got some frightening finishes to his name and I think he will test Zellhuber early. That classic Mexican heart is going to be on display here, and I’ve seen more from Zellhuber to suggest that he will do better once this fight goes into deep waters. I expect it to be a barnburner which, slowly, Zellhuber will start to take over in with his pressure and output en route to a TKO finish. (Prediction: Daniel Zellhuber)
Ryan Jarrell: This fight very well could be your fight of the night. Zellhuber has an eight-inch reach advantage and if he uses it effectively, it could be a long night for Ribovics. Having said that, Zellhuber has to be extremely careful with the power that his opponent possesses. We saw Ribovics kick Terrance McKinney into the shadow realm in his last fight, and he has the ability to do it in this fight too. Regardless, I expect Zellhuber to use his reach and fight smartly en route to a decision victory. (Prediction: Daniel Zellhuber)
Thomas Albano: This should be a fun matchup featuring a pair of up-and-coming lightweights. Both men are very talented strikers, and we could be in for a really underrated matchup. Since his win over Lucas Almeida on Dana White’s Contender Series, Zellhuber has won three of four fights he’s had in the UFC, with wins over Lando Vannata, Christos Giagos, and Francisco Prado. Ribovics, meanwhile, has won two of three fights he’s had since his DWCS appearance, including a 37-second knockout of McKinney in May.
If Ribovics is able to get in and land a couple of powerful shots, Zellhuber could find himself in trouble. I, however, feel Zellhuber will be mindful of his distance and look to land from the outside, making solid usage of his significant reach advantage. (Prediction: Daniel Zellhuber)
Andrew Starc: The rangy Zellhuber brings an all-round skillset of striking and grappling to this encounter, along with a three-fight win streak. Ribovics, meanwhile, is coming off a 37-second KO of McKinney in May — one of many knockouts and submissions on his résumé. This will be a contest between two young DWCS alums that I think will be decided by Zellhuber’s superior grappling. (Prediction: Daniel Zellhuber)
Pranav Pandey: This could be an absolute barnburner as both fighters bring well-rounded skillsets to the table. “Golden Boy” enters as the clear favorite, largely due to his significant reach advantage, which could dictate the pace of the fight. Yet, underestimating “El Gringo” would be a mistake. Ribovics not only has the defensive sharpness to evade Zellhuber’s striking but also packs powerful punches that, when paired with his well-timed takedowns, make him a dangerous and unpredictable opponent.
I anticipate this fight unfolding primarily in the striking department, with Ribovics likely keeping his distance and looking to land heavy shots from the outside. The real intrigue, however, lies in how Zellhuber responds, as he’s just as explosive as his opponent. (Prediction: Esteban Ribovics)
Aakrit Sharma: This is my Fight of the Night contender because both fighters are unlikely to shoot for a takedown and have different yet exciting striking styles. “Golden Boy” is a master at managing distance and keeping opponents at bay through teep kicks and knees during the clinch. Ribovics, on the other hand, is a powerful striker who likes to trade in the pocket. His cardio will be an extremely effective tool in this fight, and his pace and power remain the same throughout all three rounds.
Zellhuber’s last win against Prado was extremely impressive as he was more active with punches, kicks, and knees and didn’t get hit a lot like his previous fights. The Mexican struggles against high-paced opponents, though, and Ribovics excels at landing big combinations out of nowhere. Both strikers have a solid chin, so my prediction is Zellhuber to win via decision. (Prediction: Daniel Zellhuber)
Consensus: 5-1 Daniel Zellhuber
Featherweight: Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
Images: UFC.com
Kyle Dimond: When this fight was originally booked for UFC 303, I went with Lopes on the back of his recent form whilst making a note to say that it seems to always be forgotten just how good Ortega is because he’s not that active. Well, after some more time to think about it, I’m going the opposite way.
It does worry me that Lopes throws a lot and Ortega takes too much punishment, even in his wins. I can see this fight being close and I think I’d probably pick Lopes if he had another two rounds to work with. Over three, I think Ortega might be able to hit UFC 306 with another ‘y’all must have forgot’ performance. Or, you could say that to steal a pro wrestling term, I’m going for 50:50 booking.
I picked Lopes last time so I’ll pick Ortega this time. Considering how hard this one is to call, I have no shame in that. (Prediction: Brian Ortega)
Ryan Jarrell: This fight is very interesting on so many levels. When these two were initially matched up, I picked Ortega to get the win. Lopes is someone who is still evolving and has not reached his prime yet. I don’t think we can say the same thing about Ortega. “T-City” had a memorable win over Yair Rodríguez in his last UFC fight and it would be no surprise to see him notch another as an underdog. Having said that, I have to go with the younger fighter here. This would be the biggest win of Lopes’ career thus far, and I think he gets it. (Prediction: Diego Lopes)
Thomas Albano: This is a huge opportunity for Ortega – and an even bigger opportunity for Lopes. Over a year-and-a-half after suffering a shoulder injury against Rodríguez, Ortega returned in a big way by submitting him in spectacular fashion in February. Spectacular is also the word to describe Lopes’ time in the Octagon thus far. Just four fights into the UFC, he’s had a narrow loss to Movsar Evloev and highlight finishes of Gavin Tucker, Pat Sabatini, and Sodiq Yusuff.
This should be one of the best fights on the card. It’s a big step up to be taking on a two-time title challenger, but it’s the biggest opportunity of Lopes’ life – and he needs to make the most of it. And the thing is, he has the capability to get it done. “T-City” might be tough to finish with a solid chin, but Lopes possesses some explosive speed and power with his striking. Even on the ground, the up-and-comer could be able to duel in grappling with Ortega with his jiu-jitsu experience. Lopes, in fact, has more wins via submission in his MMA career than he holds KO/TKOs. If he continues his run with the kind of circumstances he’s facing here, one can only imagine the kind of major doors that will open for him. (Prediction: Diego Lopes)
Andrew Starc: This is a huge step up in competition for Lopes. Ortega is coming off a submission win against Rodríguez in February, while the Brazilian has racked up three first-round finishes in the past year. Lopes is the bigger man with huge KO power, and both fighters have good grappling. However, I think if “T-City” survives a first-round onslaught from Lopes, his experience will see him get the win. (Prediction: Brian Ortega)
Pranav Pandey: This is easily my favorite matchup on the card, as I believe it has all the ingredients to be the show-stealer of the night. Lopes is on an absolute tear right now, boasting impeccable credentials with knockout potential and a formidable grappling game to match. He poses a serious threat to Ortega, potentially being one of his toughest challenges to date. However, “T-City” is as tough as they come, showcasing sharp boxing skills with impressive volume striking. But what truly sets him apart is his ability to completely shift the momentum when the fight hits the mat. My only concern is whether his durability might be starting to wane.
Both fighters have a warrior’s mentality and won’t back down until the final bell. While Lopes has the edge with his youth and sharpness, Ortega’s resilience is a key factor that can’t be overlooked. He has the ability to turn the tide in the later rounds but must remain cautious of getting caught by the Brazilian’s strikes. Otherwise, “T-City” has the experience and savvy to steal the fight when it matters most. (Prediction: Brian Ortega)
Aakrit Sharma: It’s outrageous to me that Ortega is the underdog against Lopes. The Brazilian prospect has shown resilience and well-roundedness in his UFC fights so far, but Ortega has shared the Octagon for 25 minutes with the likes of Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. Because the fight is three rounds, I’m not expecting either fighter to get finished. Instead, it could be a back-and-forth brawl on the feet with some exceptionally slick scrambles in between. My prediction is for Ortega to win by decision, and his experience fighting way superior competition will be a key factor in the bout. (Prediction: Brian Ortega)
Consensus: 4-2 Brian Ortega
UFC Women’s Flyweight Title: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Images: UFC.com
Kyle Dimond: There’s a lot of factors that point to this being Grasso’s time to close out this trilogy, but there are a few issues with that — one being that Valentina Shevchenko is a bit good, and two, I can see there being a fourth fight if “Bullet” reclaims the belt. The former champ just refuses to let the division move on, but I do think that Grasso has enough to win another close fight. The first time, she capitalized on a mistake. The second time, she looked as good as we’ve seen her. I think that trajectory is going to keep climbing here. (Prediction: Alexa Grasso)
Ryan Jarrell: I cannot wait to see what unfolds in this trilogy fight. The former champion is now 36 years old and I think it’s fair to say not in her prime anymore. But I think Shevchenko is still good enough to pick up this win and reclaim the title. Grasso is definitely a tough out and matches up well with the veteran. I would not be surprised if she defends her title and closes this chapter in her career. It’s just hard for me to pick against Shevchenko. I won’t be placing a huge bet on this fight, but give me “Bullet” to win a decision here. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Thomas Albano: It’s always great to see a trilogy fight, and considering the circumstances of their first two fights, this will really be enjoyable. We’ve never had a women’s trilogy fight in UFC history until tonight, and so while O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili is the main event, this fight (containing a Mexican-born UFC champion) should have a lot of focus.
If there is something that the first two fights between Grasso and Shevchenko have shown, it’s that Grasso is not afraid and can take it to the longtime former champion. Whether it’s grappling or the clinch, Grasso seems to have an edge. Of course, Shevchenko is known for her crisp, technical, sometimes powerful striking and being able to land from range. Shevchenko is also one of the more unpredictable and creative strikers in the cage with her fighting style, so she can never be counted out of the fight. Shevchenko performed well in both previous outings, but neither fight went her way given that she got caught in the first fight (to Grasso’s credit) and the debatable judges’ cards in the second fight (again, to Grasso’s credit on her own performance).
Though Grasso has gotten the better of Shevchenko twice already, Shevchenko is a smart, dedicated fighter who has definitely learned from the first two outings. Not everyone is ready to consider her no longer the top dog at 125 pounds, and she may very well bring a new plan into this third fight after taking in both of their 2023 outings. My feeling is that “Bullet” reclaims her throne in another competitive outing that may prove to be one of, if not the, best women’s UFC fights in 2024. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Andrew Starc: The Shevchenko who a few years ago seemed unassailable is perhaps no longer. 36 years old now, she’s facing an opponent in Grasso who, while maybe not as technically gifted, is certainly in her prime. You could argue Shevchenko was the more dominant in their two previous meetings, and Grasso only clinched victory the first time due to Shevchenko’s slip up. This one could go either way, but it just seems like Grasso is going to pull off the win. (Prediction: Alexa Grasso)
Pranav Pandey: Grasso and Shevchenko now stand on equal footing, with each fighter well-versed in the intricacies of the other’s skills and fighting style thanks to their previous encounters. On paper, “Bullet” seems to outclass the reigning champion in nearly every aspect — whether it’s her unconventional striking, defensive grappling, or overall skillset. However, what sets Grasso apart is her freshness, giving her a physical sharpness advantage over the more battle-worn Shevchenko. Moreover, Grasso carries a surge of confidence from her previous success against Shevchenko, which could be a decisive factor in their next showdown.
Shevchenko brings a menacing arsenal of striking threats, where one misstep from her opponent could lead to an early night. However, in her recent outings, she’s revealed glaring vulnerabilities against skilled grapplers, a weakness Grasso can exploit. If the Mexican plays her cards right and capitalizes on these openings, she has a strong path to victory. (Prediction: Alexa Grasso)
Aakrit Sharma: In their last outing, Shevchenko showed glimpses of a dominant force against Grasso throughout five rounds. She was getting the better of the striking exchanges and could secure four takedowns with over eight minutes of control time. However, the UFC women’s flyweight champion had a couple of huge moments like the second-round knockdown and the ground control in the last frame that made the fight a lot closer than it threatened to be at times.
Although Grasso is unbeaten in two fights against Shevchenko and “Bullet” no longer looks invincible in the Octagon, it’s hard to bet against her. The former champ will still have a massive power advantage and, with the right adjustments, she should be able to get a decision win over Grasso at UFC 306. Grasso’s very tough and has good jiu-jitsu, so I wouldn’t predict a submission or finish win for Shevchenko. (Prediction: Valentina Shevchenko)
Consensus: 3-3
UFC Bantamweight Title: Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Images: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC & @ufc/X
Kyle Dimond: This fight is going to be fascinating because of two big questions. We’ve seen Dvalishvili get hurt in the past and survive, but will he be able to do that against a sniper like O’Malley? And how will “Suga” fare against a pressure fighter like “Merab”The Machine.” This has become a real coin flip pick for me in the weeks leading up to this fight but I am going to side with and new.
I don’t see the challenger as someone who is going to lose confidence in this fight if he can’t close that gap or if he gets hurt when doing so. I think O’Malley will more than hold his own but I can also see him being stifled at points in this fight, which will give Dvalishvili the rounds he needs to take home the bantamweight title. (Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili)
Ryan Jarrell: There was a time when I was absolutely convinced that Dvalishvili would eventually be the bantamweight champion and the man to dethrone O’Malley. But I have been slowly losing my confidence in picking the Georgian to get the job done. The main reason is because of how many openings he leaves when closing distance. “Suga” is a sniper and so precise with his punching placement. I just believe that over 25 minutes, there will be a moment when Dvalishvili gets caught and O’Malley capitalizes for the TKO finish. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Thomas Albano: O’Malley’s rise to the UFC bantamweight championship has been nothing short of spectacular and star-making. Having said that, he’s taking on a man who probably would have received a title shot a lot sooner if he was willing to fight his friend and teammate in former champion Aljamain Sterling. O’Malley seems to continue to get better with every fight, but Dvalishvili presents a unique challenge that he hasn’t faced before – and perhaps the toughest that he’s ever faced.
Though it sounds generic to say, this one truly is a striker vs. grappler matchup, and whoever dictates control of the fight determines how this one is going to go. If Dvalishvili is as dominant with his takedowns and his wrestling as we’ve seen him be in the Octagon, it’s going to be a long night for “The Suga Show” and his fanbase. But if O’Malley has really worked on his takedown defense and his wrestling, then he can keep this fight standing, where it will be a great night for him.
Unfortunately for O’Malley and his fans (or for me in case I get this wrong!), I feel like unless I see Dvalishvili be stopped in his relentless takedown pursuits, I’m not going to doubt him. And considering this may be Dvalishvili’s only opportunity at the 135-pound gold after just serving as Sterling’s “bodyguard” of sorts when he was champion, I don’t think Dvalishvili is going to just let this opportunity slip through his fingers. (Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili)
Andrew Starc: Dvalishvili’s relentless wrestling and cardio seem the antidote to O’Malley’s phenomenal striking, but how will the Georgian perform under the pressure of his first title fight? Also factoring into his chances is the fact that Dvalishvili revealed to the world a cut that’s prime for targeted shots from O’Malley, and that he could possibly have a staph infection. O’Malley seems the sort of fighter that steps up a notch in big title fights, and I think he’s going to use his striking to get the win here. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Pranav Pandey: In my view, Dvalishvili poses a formidable threat to Sean O’Malley, primarily due to his relentless pace and suffocating wrestling style, which has consistently left his opponents gasping for air. Yet, “Suga” isn’t one to back down easily. With his exceptional takedown defense and uncanny ability to capitalize on his reach, he’s more than capable of turning a potential wrestling clinic into a striking showcase.What truly sets O’Malley apart, though, is his sharp counter-striking, which could serve as a perfect antidote to Dvalishvili’s forward pressure. His precision and timing allow him to exploit even the slightest openings, forcing opponents to rethink their approach.
I anticipate the early rounds will see both fighters engage in a tactical chess match, cautiously gauging each other’s rhythm and distance, with neither willing to overcommit too early. While “The Machine” has proven time and again that he can push the pace, O’Malley presents a different challenge. His precision striking could sap Dvalishvili’s energy reserves faster than expected. Dvalishvili’s susceptibility to being hit, particularly around the temple, perfectly aligns with O’Malley’s prowess as a devastating headhunter with fight-ending power. While Dvalishvili has the endurance to push the fight into deep waters, evading “Suga’s” pinpoint strikes will be an immense task , though the Georgian has the resilience to pull it off. (Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili)
Aakrit Sharma: Din Thomas rightly predicts that this fight won’t be a back-and-forth. Either Dvalishvili’s wrestling will overwhelm O’Malley for five straight rounds or the champ’s takedown defense and clean striking won’t allow the Georgian to be as relentless as he usually is. O’Malley has really underrated grappling. Petr Yan could take him down at will but “Suga” didn’t take much damage on the ground and hopped back up in several creative ways. He’s improved drastically since that fight, and his ability to hit you as soon as you enter the pocket should be a problem for Dvalishvili. O’Malley’s knees should also serve him well against a grappler like Dvalishvili.
If the fight goes the distance, “The Machine” will most likely get the nod, but my prediction is O’Malley winning via KO before the fourth begins. (Prediction: Sean O’Malley)
Consensus: 3-3
That’ll do it for our Noche UFC 306 staff picks! What do you think? Do your picks look similar? Let us know in the comments section! Also, you can check out the full Noche UFC 306 card below.
Main Card:
Bantamweight Championship Main Event: Sean O’Malley (C) vs. Merab Dvalishvili
Flyweight Championship Co-Main Event: Alexa Grasso (C) vs. Valentina Shevchenko
Featherweight: Brian Ortega vs. Diego Lopes
Lightweight: Daniel Zellhuber vs. Esteban Ribovics
Flyweight: Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode’ Osbourne
Preliminary Card:
Bantamweight: Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng
Bantamweight: Irena Aldana vs. Norma Dumont
Lightweight: Manuel Torres vs. Ignacio Bahamondes
Flyweight: Edgar Cháirez vs. Kevin Borjas
Strawweight: Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza
Be sure to keep it right here on MMANews.com tomorrow for all the results, highlights, and updates on Noche UFC 306!
Tasked with topping the lineup are two champions in bantamweight kingpin Sean O’Malley and flyweight queen Alexa Grasso. Before “Sugar” defends against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event, the Mexican will complete her trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko.
Different predictions are flying for the contest, which comes a few months after their UFC 303 co-headliner fell through on the day of the event due to sickness suffered by “T-City.”
After that debacle, Sonnen sees the fight as one of the most highly anticipated of the year. But the ex-middleweight and light heavyweight contender doesn’t believe the promotion has done justice to that…
Sonnen: There Is A ‘Very Bizarre Feel’ Around Ortega vs. Lopes
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen looked ahead to this weekend’s major PPV event in Las Vegas, specifically the most marquee bout on the undercard.
That has baffled “The American Gangster,” who went as far as to describe the fight as one of the most “sought-after” of 2024 thus far.
“Brian Ortega, Diego Lopes — this thing is so wildly interesting,” Sonnen said. “Talk about a backstory, by the way. You know how helpful that is? … When you promised the world a fight and then all of a sudden you take it away. But it’s not being promoted, guys. Why is that? I’m just asking a question, making an observation. Why is it not being promoted?
“This is one of the most sought-after fights in a period of time. Can I say all of 2024? Short-term memory with a little bit of exaggeration, yeah, it’s one of them. Absolutely it is,” Sonnen continued. “There is a very bizarre feel around this contest. There is a bizarre feel because nobody’s covering the contest! people are not talking about it. People are not getting you hyped up about it. That’s very peculiar. … This is one of the great fights of 2024. This is the most under-promoted fight of 2024.”
While it may not be getting spoken about to the extent it should be in the build-up, both Ortega and Lopes will look to ensure that the leading headlines surround their winning performance on Sunday and the days that follow Noche UFC 306.
Though Ortega is excited to watch that one play out, he doesn’t have a prediction for who takes the victory in Abu Dhabi.
Brian Ortega Says He Doesn’t Take Either Topuria Or Holloway For Granted After Being Proven Wrong
The way that Ortega sees it, giving a prediction for the main event of UFC 308 would be counting out one man and that’s not something he is prepared to do.
He was asked if he had a pick for the fight during a recent interview with Submission Radio where he responded by saying that he isn’t sure who will claim the victory.
“I don’t know man… and I’m not even trying to be political, I have no idea. Topuria is someone who surprised me obviously last time so I learned very quickly not to say or go against him, lesson learned. Max is another guy that you don’t want to go against, lesson learned. Then when you look at the styles, you have Topuria who has more of a traditional boxer style, you have Max with his just a machine of punches and then unorthodox boxing style but it’s very effective.”
When Brian Ortega was first announced to be taking on Diego Lopes in the co-main event of UFC 303, fans circled that one out as a fight that you can’t afford to miss.
The two featherweight contenders have got two of the most exciting styles in the division and neither man is known for backing down from a scrap.
However, if you think that that’s going to make Ortega switch up his approach, you’re sorely mistaken.
Brian Ortega Says He’s Going To Go To War With Like-Minded Individual At UFC 306
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Ortega told the fans what they can expect to see from his fight at the Sphere this weekend.
Rather than using his experience against the surging Lopes or looking to fight a bit more reserved, he’s excited to compete against another man that is always willing to wade into the fire to come away with the victory.
“It’s like I told everybody, I said that you have someone who refuses to lose on the feet and refuses to lose in the stand-up so when I say that, I bet you have no idea who I’m talking about. That’s why this is an exciting fight, you get to fight almost like a version of yourself. Tad bit different styles, same mentality.”
Ortega closed things out with one final message, promising that the judges aren’t going to be needed for this fight but he won’t be the one that requires any assistance.
“Someone is going to get finished, guaranteed. You know me, you’ve seen me. I either put you on your shield or you put me on mine. I’m not going out on my shield.”
Instead of the T-Mobile Arena for the second straight year, this year’s edition of Noche UFC is set to go down inside the unique Sphere venue. Ever since confirming the event, White has been consistently promising a spectacle like nothing seen before.
While the jury is still out on whether the Sphere production will deliver on that, many have already made their minds up when it comes to the lineup set to accompany it on fight night.
The UFC CEO, however, sees things differently. And he’s perhaps readying up another compilation of the doubters to post following UFC 306…
White Hits Back At Those Slamming Sphere Card
During a recent interview with KTNV Channel 13 Las Vegas, White looked ahead to his promotion’s major PPV event this weekend, which he claims has cost the UFC upwards of $20 million.
In terms of media members and analysts expressing disappointment over the lineup for Noche UFC, the CEO recalled the negative sentiments some had about UFC 300 in the lead-up.
“First of all, we made these fights to be badass fights that night. We want fights that represent Mexicans and the history of how they fight in Mexico. I guarantee you that we have done that,” White said. “This event is so big, so different, and so special, yes, this is the type of event you put those type of guys in.
“I deal with this every time we put on a fight. Going into UFC 300, the critics, the ‘experts’, all the people who know about fighting talked about that UFC 300 wasn’t a good card,” White continued. “I’ve dealt with this my entire career. You hear these kind of things from, you know, the ‘experts’. All the experts about fighting are in this building (UFC Headquarters) right here. So, yeah, we’re very confident in the card and the fighters.”
Much of the criticism surrounding UFC 300 focused on the main event, which saw Alex Pereira defend his light heavyweight title against Jamahal Hill. The bout came together on relatively late notice after other options failed to come to fruition.
This time around, it would appear that the MMA community was expecting a deeper card than has come together for Noche UFC. But regardless, those set to be in action will look to make the most of their position on the prominent lineup and deliver enthralling violence inside the Sphere.
It's the fight week we've all been waiting for! 🌞#UFC306 LIVE from @SphereVegas
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is surprised at how wide the odds are for Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes’ upcoming Sphere showdown.
While Ortega sits further up the featherweight rankings, Lopes is highly touted and riding a wave of form that has established him as a fan favorite. With that in mind, plenty are expecting him to ascend into the top five at the veteran two-time title challenger’s expense.
But when it comes to predictions of “T-City’s” downfall, Volkanovski has told doubters to hold their horses…
Volkanovski Picks Ortega To Upset Lopes At UFC 306
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, Volkanovski broke down and predicted the three major matchups set to play out at the UFC’s second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day.
The Australian will have a vested interest in Ortega vs. Lopes, which marks a key battle in his division and sees one of his former opponents in action.
And while the man he delivered a beating to at UFC 266 back in 2021 will enter the cage as a sizable underdog this Saturday night, “Alexander the Great” thinks Ortega has the skillset to grind out a decision triumph and halt Lopes’ charge up the featherweight ladder.
“I mean, Lopes is great. A very, very good jiu-jitsu guy,” Volkanovski said. “I’m surprised that Ortega’s such an underdog. I’m gonna call my pick straight away and say Ortega. Being such an underdog…pretty good odds on Ortega for this fight. Again, Lopes is very good, but I’m surprised, stylistically, how much of an underdog Ortega is.
“Great jiu-jitsu, both of them. We all know Ortega’s known for his jiu-jitsu, incredible jiu-jitsu. Lopes is a really good jiu-jitsu artist,” Volkanovski continued. “We did see with Movsar (Evloev), he was still able to control him (Lopes) a bit. … I just feel Ortega’s gonna be okay on the ground. I don’t think Lopes is gonna have something that (Ortega) hasn’t seen before. … I’m quite surprised that he’s the underdog. … Lopes is gonna find it hard to put his lights out. Ortega’s chin is like a Max Holloway chin. … I’m leaning towards Ortega. … I’m gonna go with a decision win.”
Ortega will look to prove Volkanovski’s assessment of the matchup correct come fight night at the Sphere.
And should he accomplish that feat, “T-City” will likely join his former opponent in pursuit of challenging the winner of Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway’s title clash in Abu Dhabi next month.
T-City isn't new to making history 😮💨@BrianTCity looks to make more at #UFC306!
