Last Time At Noche UFC (2024)

Headlined by a bantamweight title fight between 135-pound champion Sean O’Malley and No. 1 ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili, Riyadh Season Noche UFC will be the first combat sports event held at Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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The card features a star-studded lineup, including the trilogy fight between flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko, as well as a high-stakes featherweight clash between former title challenger Brian Ortega and rising star Diego Lopes.

Before the UFC touches down at Sphere, let’s take a moment to revisit the standout moments from last year’s inaugural Noche UFC event.

Alexa Grasso vs Valentina Shevchenko 2

In Noche UFC’s main event, flyweight champion Alexa Grasso put her title on the line in a rematch against former flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko. The two first met six months earlier in the co-main event at UFC 285: Jones vs Gane.

Shevchenko came into their first meeting on a nine-fight win streak, seven of those being defenses of her flyweight title. As a +600 underdog, Grasso shocked the world with a fourth-round neck crank submission to dethrone the division’s most decorated champion.

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In their rematch at Noche UFC, both fighters had their moments throughout the fight, the biggest coming in the second round when Grasso scored a critical knockdown. Despite how their first fight ended, Shevchenko showed no caution going to the mat with Grasso, securing four takedowns and amassing eight minutes of control time.

It was an epic fight that was a toss-up for not only the fans watching around the world, but the three judges scoring Octagonside. The judges scored the fight 48-47, 47-48 and 47-47, resulting in a split draw and Grasso retaining her title. These two will look to settle their rivalry once and for all when they face off for a third time in the co-main event at Riyadh Season Noche UFC on September 14.

Raul Rosas Jr. Delivers a Highlight-Reel Finish

Dana White’s Contender Series grad Raul Rosas Jr. burst onto the scene in 2022, when he submitted Jay Perrin less than three minutes into his UFC debut. After a setback in his sophom*ore appearance against Christian Rodriguez, the then 18-year-old wanted to make an emphatic return to the Octagon at Noche UFC against Terrence Mitchell.

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Both fighters flew out of the gates as if they had to make a dinner reservation; Mitchell threw a head kick just one second into the fight. But 35 seconds in, Rosas Jr. landed the biggest shot of their brief encounter - a left hand that sent Mitchell crashing to the canvas and the 20,000-plus fans at T-Mobile Arena to their feet. Rosas Jr. jumped on him and landed a flurry of follow up shots until the referee stepped in to stop the fight. Rosas Jr. returns to the Octagon at Riyadh Season Noche UFC, where he’ll kick off the early prelims against Aoriqileng.

Prospects Make Their Mark

Rosas Jr. wasn’t the only prospect to stand out that night. On the prelims, current No. 12 ranked flyweight Tracy Cortez extended her win streak to 11 with a unanimous decision win over Jasmine Jasudavicius, welterweight Roman Kopylov scored an impressive body shot KO over Josh Fremd, and Loopy Godinez collected a second-round submission win over Elise Reed.

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In the co-main event, Jack Della Maddalena shined in what was the biggest test of his career, defeating Kevin Holland via split decision. Also on the main card, Mexico’s Daniel Zellhuber earned a Performance of the Night bonus for his anaconda choke submission over Christos Giagos. Zellhuber will also make his return to the Octagon at Riyadh Season Noche UFC, where he’ll try to extend his win streak to four against Esteban Ribovics.