UFC 306 live updates: Results, highlights, analysis as Sean O ...
"Noche UFC" at UFC 306 will feature two title fights: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili and Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
UFC featherweight champion Sean O'Malley and women's flyweight champion Alexa Grasso are defending their belts Saturday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV) at a venue the UFC has never been to before, and may never visit again. UFC 306 will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas, where fighters will enter the Octagon surrounded by hundreds of millions of pixels.
The main event will see one of the UFC's most lethal strikers, O'Malley, take on Merab Dvalishvili, currently on a 10-bout win streak. O'Malley captured the featherweight belt against Aljamain Sterling and defended it against Marlon Vera, but it's Dvalishvili that might represent his biggest test before he can be considered one of the UFC's elite fighters.
The fight was a pick-em at BetMGM as of Saturday afternoon.
Grasso, meanwhile, will continue a trilogy against Valentina Shevchenko in the co-main event. She stunned Shevchenko for the belt last year and held onto it via a split draw for her first title defense, but the UFC opted to give the former champ one more crack at her old title. Grasso is currently a -130 favorite.
The whole card will have a Mexican theme, with every non-main event bout featuring a fighter of Mexican heritage as part of the UFC's "Noche UFC" promotion. The theme will be featured heavily on the Sphere's video screen, but the $20 million expense of the venue has led to UFC president Dana White declaring it will be a one-off.
Follow all of the action going down in Las Vegas with our live tracker below.
Live110 updates
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:37 AM GMT+2
Interesting first round. Shevchenko was the aggressor early and got Grasso with a beautiful takedown, but she didn't do much with it despite being in control for multiple minutes. Grasso was also close to a surprise armbar at one point, too. Still, give that one to Shevchenko.
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:17 AM GMT+2
Who they are: Grasso is the women’s flyweight champion. Shevchenko is the woman she beat to claim the title in the first place. That was a surprising upset all on its own. Then they fought again and ended in a draw. Now, for the first time since 2016, Shevchenko heads into a UFC fight as a betting underdog.
Why it matters: That shiny gold belt, for one thing. But also this is the trilogy fight where Grasso can finally put to rest any suggestion that she might have just gotten lucky once and doesn’t really deserve to be called a champion. For Shevchenko, it’s a chance to show her time at the top isn’t done just yet. Or is it?
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:12 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:10 AM GMT+2
Diego Lopes is on a mission. Just mauling people.
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) September 15, 2024
Well, we are all going to have to get used to the idea that Diego Lopes is Actually Good.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) September 15, 2024
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:07 AM GMT+2
Ortega survived the early knockdown and getting viciously mauled in the third. Lopes had his number throughout the fight,
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 6:02 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:59 AM GMT+2
Lopes repeatedly touching his throat again; perhaps an aggravation of the injury from UFC 303? #NocheUFC
— E. Spencer Kyte (@spencerkyte) September 15, 2024
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:53 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:52 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:51 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:48 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:42 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:41 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:39 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:39 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:29 AM GMT+2
Who they are: Ortega is the former title challenger trying to hang onto his position as one of the top guys at featherweight by fending off these young hitters. Lopes is the guy with the emo hair who keeps overperforming in increasingly tough fights.
Why it matters: Every time Lopes fights and wins in the UFC there’s a creeping sense of "hold on, this guy might actually be good." Ortega is a significant step up from the competition he’s faced so far, making this the toughest test yet for that particular hypothesis. If Lopes wins this one, he probably enters the title contender conversation. If he doesn’t, fans might decide he’s just another fun guy to have at 145 pounds.
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:27 AM GMT+2
He didn't win it, but Zellhuber is made of something different. That was incredible.
— Chuck Mindenhall (@ChuckMindenhall) September 15, 2024
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:26 AM GMT+2
Well, if those guys don’t win Fight of the Night then there must be something incredible still to come.
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) September 15, 2024
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:26 AM GMT+2
Sun, September 15, 2024 at 5:24 AM GMT+2
This is WILD. How is Zellhuber still in this???
— Ben Fowlkes (@benfowlkesMMA) September 15, 2024
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 - Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada
Main card (Start time 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+ PPV)
Prelims (Start time 8 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS/ESPN+)
Early Prelims (Start time 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass)
