Noche UFC News: Sphere Event Adds Mexican Talent with Five Confirmed Fights
Riyadh Season Noche UFC is starting to take shape for the Sphere.
UFC Vegas Sphere Event Gets Barn Burner Ranked Middleweight Fight
Mexican Independence Day weekend will be one to remember this year as the UFC heads to the high-end venue in Las Vegas, Nevada for "one of the biggest sporting events of all time" according to UFC CEO Dana White, who revealed the promotion has already spent $17M on this show alone.
With the Sphere’s cutting-edge technologies at their disposal, we'll have to wait until Sep. 14 to see what visuals the UFC will have in store for those in attendance and those watching around the world. However, we now have some details as to who will be fighting at Noche UFC.
Top Contender Bout At Women's 135
Representing Mexico, former title challenger and #5 contender Irene Aldana is targeted to face #10 contender Norma Dumont in a women's bantamweight bout, Ag Fight reported on Monday.
Aldana recently bounced back from a loss in her first title fight against Amanda Nunes with a bloody win over Karol Rosa which earned "Fight of the Night" honors at UFC 296. As for Dumont, "The Immortal" is riding an impressive four-fight win streak, most recently defeating former champ Germaine de Randamie in her return in April.
Flashy Meets 'Fluffy'
Also joining the Noche UFC lineup is a Top15 matchup at middleweight. Winner of his last 8 fights, the ever-flashy Michel Pereira gets to show off at the Sphere against Anthony "Fluffy" Hernandez - who's currently on a five-fight win streak himself. #13 Pereira sits right above #14 Hernandez in the official UFC rankings.
More Fighters From South Of The Border
Tijuana's Yazmin Jauregui will look to show out for the Mexican fans when she takes on Ketlen Souza in a women's strawweight matchup, first reported by ESPN Deportes' Carlos Legaspi. Jauregui, 26, has only lost once in her 12-fight career and is one of the most exciting prospects we've seen at 115lbs, at least in recent memory.
Born in Brazil, Souza is still relatively new to the UFC roster, going 1-1 since dropping her debut to top prospect Karine Silva in June 2023. Souza got her first win inside the promotion in April, defeating Marnic Mann by decision.
Edgar Chairez, another fighter from Mexico, is set to make his fourth walk to the Octagon when he meets Peru's Kevin Borjas. In February, Chairez notched his first UFC win in Mexico City, submitting Daniel Lacerda. His opponent Borjas tries to rebound from back-to-back losses since being signed to the UFC off Dana White's Contender Series. The flyweight matchup was first reported by MMA Junkie's Danny Segura on Wednesday.
The latest addition to the Sphere card is a flyweight contest between Ronaldo Rodriguez and Ode Osbourne, ESPN Deportes' Carlos Legaspi broke the news on Thursday.
Fighting out of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico, "Lazy Boy" tapped out Denys Bondar with a rear-naked choke in his promotional debut in February. Rodriguez currently rides a six-fight win streak while UFC veteran Osbourne hasn't won since February of last year, with "The Jamaican Sensation" losing to both Asu Almabaev and Jafel Filho in his last two fights.
UFC boss Dana White recently said on FLAGRANT that Noche UFC will be "a love letter to the Mexican people", so it looks like we'll see even more Mexican stars added to the card in the very near future.
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What fights would YOU like to see at the Sphere this September?
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