Noche UFC at Sphere: The 2024 Event and Complete Results
Noche UFC brought a championship doubleheader to Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024. Officially UFC 306, the event combined an immersive production celebrating Mexican heritage with ten fights, culminating in Merab Dvalishvili winning the bantamweight title and Valentina Shevchenko reclaiming the women’s flyweight championship.
A distinctive setting for a UFC card
Sphere’s first live sporting event gave the UFC an opportunity to build a presentation around the venue’s enormous interior display. The official announcement emphasized the combination of championship competition and an environment designed for immersive visual storytelling.
The event celebrated Mexican Independence Day weekend; the holiday itself falls on September 16. Its historical interest now lies in what the promotion staged and what the athletes achieved. The production and the championship changes now make it a distinctive entry in the UFC’s 2024 schedule.
Two titles change hands
Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley by unanimous decision, with scores of 49–46, 48–47 and 48–47. His pressure and wrestling delivered the championship victory at the end of the evening.
Shevchenko defeated Alexa Grasso by unanimous decision, receiving 50–45 from every judge. Their trilogy had followed Grasso’s submission victory in the first meeting and a draw in the second. Sphere provided a decisive third result and a returning champion.
The supporting fights deliver their own drama
Diego Lopes defeated Brian Ortega on the scorecards, while Esteban Ribovics edged Daniel Zellhuber by split decision in a demanding lightweight contest. Ronaldo Rodríguez also won by unanimous decision against Ode’ Osbourne.
The preliminaries featured wins for Norma Dumont, Ignacio Bahamondes, Ketlen Souza, Joshua Van and Raul Rosas Jr. Van fought Édgar Cháirez after replacing Kevin Borjas, an important change from the early promotional lineup. The complete results show that the venue’s spectacle accompanied a varied sporting program: championship wrestling, close striking battles and preliminary finishes all contributed to the night.
Complete UFC 306 results
- Merab Dvalishvili def. Sean O’Malley — Unanimous decision, R5, 5:00.
- Valentina Shevchenko def. Alexa Grasso — Unanimous decision, R5, 5:00.
- Diego Lopes def. Brian Ortega — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
- Esteban Ribovics def. Daniel Zellhuber — Split decision, R3, 5:00.
- Ronaldo Rodríguez def. Ode’ Osbourne — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
- Norma Dumont def. Irene Aldana — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
- Ignacio Bahamondes def. Manuel Torres — TKO (punches), R1, 4:02.
- Ketlen Souza def. Yazmin Jauregui — Technical submission (rear-naked choke), R1, 3:02.
- Joshua Van def. Édgar Cháirez — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
- Raul Rosas Jr. def. Aori Qileng — Unanimous decision, R3, 5:00.
Sources
- Sphere’s official announcement of its first live sporting event
- UFC 306 official main-card results
- UFC 306 official preliminary results
- UFC 306 complete card and replacement history
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
