Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen wants to know why more people aren’t being “hyped up” for one important Sphere showdown this weekend.
Mixed martial arts’ leading promotion will stage its second annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day on Saturday, Sept. 14. Rather than the T-Mobile Arena, this year’s edition of Noche UFC will take place within the unique surroundings of the Sphere.
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.
The rest of the card isn’t the deepest and has been criticized by some. But the non-title fights on offer does include one blockbuster rearranged collision between featherweight veteran Brian Ortega and the fast-rising Diego Lopes.
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.
While Lopes has established himself as one of this year’s leading fan favorites and will face a former two-time title challenger and longtime contender in Ortega, Sonnen doesn’t think the bout is being promoted nearly enough.
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.
Listo el día de medios
@RiyadhSeason #NocheUFC es casi hora! pic.twitter.com/H8g5jnOI5h
— UFC (@ufc) September 12, 2024
- Read More: Sean O’Malley On What Will Set Him Apart From Conor McGregor: ‘No One Thinks Conor Is The GOAT’
Continue Reading Chael Sonnen Brands Noche UFC 306 Fight The ‘Most Under-Promoted’ Of 2024 at MMA News.