UFC Sphere fight card, date, ticket info, and more

The UFC is set to take over the immersive, entertainment facility known as the Sphere in Las Vegas, on September 14. As the date coincides closely with Mexican Independence Day, the UFC has christened this event with the Noche UFC title, although it’s since been revamped to Riyadh Season Noche UFC. This will mark the first time in UFC history that a sponsor’s name is prominently featured in the headlining title of an event.

There was a mixed fan reaction on social media as it pertained to the name change. Several X posts expressed displeasure with a Saudi Arabian festival campaign attached to an event celebrating Mexican heritage and independence. Others could read through the lines and acknowledge the whopping monetary benefits for the UFC to incorporate Saudi-backed branding.

Be that as it may, the UFC has yet to disclose any official fight announcements for their premiere event at the Sphere, as of the time of this writing. However, given anticipation for the landmark UFC event, there are a couple of speculated bouts rumored to take place.

UFC Sphere fight card

One such fight that has been gaining steam for the Riyadh Season Noche UFC lineup is a Featherweight title collision pitting Ilia Topuria against BMF titleholder Max Holloway. Suspense has been building for months as the newly-crowned champion Topuria is expected to make his first title defense against ex-champion Holloway, who is coming off a buzzer-beater KO victory over Justin Gaethje at UFC 300. Topuria, who proudly represents his residence in Spain, would be a perfect addition to the Noche UFC fight card. 

On the topic of Latino (or in this case, Latina) fighters, another bout circulating to take place on the second Noche UFC card is a trilogy Flyweight title fight between champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. The two ladies had the top billing on the promotion’s first Noche UFC event, which took place last September at the T-Mobile Arena. Currently opposing head coaches on The Ultimate Fighter season 32, the UFC Sphere card lines up perfectly with a finale bout between Grasso and Shevchenko, which can help bolster the card as a co-main event or even a featured bout.

Some other hypothetical fights being thrown up for the UFC Sphere card is a Bantamweight title fight between Sean O’Malley and top contender Merab Dvalishvili. Even the recently fallen-through grudge fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler has been thrown out there for a UFC Sphere booking, although, it’s mostly on behalf of Iron Mike’s calling. 

The Sphere is not a cheap venue to book and signs aren’t pointing to the UFC returning there in the foreseeable future. Thus, many fighters have been throwing their names in the hat to be added to the historic UFC Sphere lineup, particularly those from the Latino demographic. Such fighters include Diego Lopes, Henry Cejudo, Dominick Cruz, and Tatiana Suarez, just to name a few. 

Unfortunately for fight fans, they’ll have to patiently wait for the UFC to release tickets for the landmark event, as there has yet to be a general public on-sale. If you casually have an arm or leg lying around (à la Tim Sylvia or Anderson Silva), try your hand at purchasing tickets on resale platforms such as StubHub, for upwards of $3,000 a ticket. If that's too high of a price tag, sign up for a chance to purchase presale tickets on the official UFC website, in the meantime.

The UFC promises to put on a grand fight spectacle in their first foray into the fight capital’s most complex and visually stunning venue. We’ll just have to be on standby to hear further details regarding UFC at the Sphere, as everything is speculation for now.