Noche UFC 306 takes place on Saturday night, and MMA News is here to bring you the final faceoffs from the ceremonial weigh-ins! The upcoming pay-per-view event at the Sphere in Las Vegas provides a chance for UFC Bantamweight Champion Sean O’Malley to further enhance his legacy on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage. After unseating Aljamain […]
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.
Laura Sanko recently pondered whether Valentina Shevchenko’s age might emerge as a crucial variable in her upcoming title fight against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306. Shevchenko is set to challenge reigning UFC flyweight champion Grasso in a highly anticipated trilogy bout, serving as the co-main event of this Saturday’s pay-per-view spectacle at the Sphere […]
Laura Sanko recently pondered whether Valentina Shevchenko’s age might emerge as a crucial variable in her upcoming title fight against Alexa Grasso at Noche UFC 306.
“Bullet” kicked off her dominant reign as the UFC’s 125-pound champion with a decisive unanimous decision win over Hall of Famer Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 231 in December 2018, setting the stage for an unstoppable title run. Shevchenko went on to defend her title an impressive seven times, cementing her legacy. However, her historic run hit a roadblock at UFC 285 in March 2023 when she was stunned by Grasso, succumbing to a shocking fourth-round submission.
Even before her loss to Grasso, Shevchenko, who turned 36 this March, showed signs of vulnerability during her title defense against Taila Santos at UFC 275 in June 2022. However, the Kyrgyz-born Peruvian narrowly avoided an upset, escaping with a razor-thin split-decision victory.
All of this has sparked Sanko to question whether “Bullet’s” age might prove to be a deciding factor in the trilogy bout against Grasso…
Sanko Wonders If Shevchenko’s Best Days Are Behind Her
During a recent episode of One On One | MMA with Din Thomas, Sanko dove into a discussion about the upcoming Grasso vs. Shevchenko showdown. The UFC’s first female commentator posed an intriguing question to Thomas, asking whether the former flyweight queen could still maintain her razor-sharp edge at 36 or if time has begun to dull her once-dominant prowess.
“Can you make that adjustment at 36?” Sanko asked. “I can say that as a mature woman of nearly 42. 36 is, you know, it’s not old, but it’s the beginning of what we call old in MMA. It’s the beginning of that if we’re being honest. So, I guess my question to you is: Can she make those adjustments at this stage in her career?”
Thomas responded by acknowledging that while he’s not ruling out Shevchenko’s chances against Grasso, he believes 36 is the age when fighters often begin to struggle with the psychological demands of the sport, which could impact their performance.
“The hard part is, physically, I think you could make them, but at 36, what I’m talking about is more psychological. At 36, you’re just in a different place psychologically, and you’re thinking about vacation and bills and what you’re going to do after the fight. Now, that may not be what we admit to, but that’s just what happens. We don’t like to admit that, but you just don’t want to slap a person in the face anymore after 36. It just… I don’t know if she can make those adjustments, but I’m not gonna count her out.”
Prior to her defeat against Grasso, Shevchenko hadn’t lost to anyone in the UFC aside from Amanda Nunes. However, history has shown that many fighters over the age of 35 tend to exhibit signs of decline in their performances. This makes it all the more interesting to see how Shevchenko will rise to the challenge against Grasso, who is not only four years younger but brimming with momentum.
UFC play-by-play broadcaster Jon Anik has a dream matchup in mind that he wants to see come to fruition in 2023. 2023, on paper, is already starting to look like one of the most exciting years in UFC history. Big-name fights featuring some of the sport…
UFC play-by-play broadcaster Jon Anik has a dream matchup in mind that he wants to see come to fruition in 2023. 2023, on paper, is already starting to look like one of the most exciting years in UFC history. Big-name fights featuring some of the sport’s most prolific stars, including Alexander Volkanovski and Jon Jones,…
Noche UFC (UFC 306) takes place tomorrow night, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results! After staging its latest pay-per-view event Down Under in Perth, Australia last month, the promotion’s September offering sees a first-of-its-kind show inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere. Tasked with aiding in an unforgettable night […]
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 live stream of the Noche UFC 306 weigh-ins via MMA Fighting, commencing at 12 p.m. ET, and check out the full results 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
Years after being banned from the UFC, referee Mario Yamasaki is clarifying his most iconic comments. Yamasaki spent the better part of two decades serving as the third man in the Octagon for some of the biggest fights in UFC history. Known for always …
Years after being banned from the UFC, referee Mario Yamasaki is clarifying his most iconic comments. Yamasaki spent the better part of two decades serving as the third man in the Octagon for some of the biggest fights in UFC history. Known for always throwing up a heart with his hands before fights, he played…
Lauren Murphy has weighed in on the controversial UFC 275 bout between Taila Santos and Valentina Shevchenko. At the event, Shevchenko put her Flyweight Championship up for grabs against the Brazilian contender in an exhausting five-round affair. The c…
Lauren Murphy has weighed in on the controversial UFC 275 bout between Taila Santos and Valentina Shevchenko. At the event, Shevchenko put her Flyweight Championship up for grabs against the Brazilian contender in an exhausting five-round affair. The closely contested bout was ultimately ruled a split decision in ‘Bullet’s favor. Many, however, felt that Santos…
