UFC CEO Dana White’s plans for ‘Noche UFC’ have been revealed but the fans don’t seem to be happy with the names on the highly anticipated card! Set to take place on September 14, the event will be the second UFC card in honor of Mexican Independence Day and will be held at ‘The Sphere’ in Las Vegas. The event is also the first time the UFC has a title sponsor for the event as ‘Riyadh Season’ will be the title partner for this event.

In an announcement made on Instagram, the UFC boss revealed that Sean O’Malley will defend his bantamweight title against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event at ‘The Sphere’. White also announced a thrilling co-main event as UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso will face former champ Valentina Shevchenko! 

Grasso won the title with a fourth-round submission of Shevchenko in 2023 and defended it with a controversial split draw at the first Noche UFC event. This trilogy bout promises to settle their rivalry once and for all.

Another highlight of the pay-per-view card is the re-booked matchup between Brian Ortega and Diego Lopes. Ortega, a former featherweight title challenger, will face the rising star Lopes. Their bout, originally set for UFC 303, had to be rescheduled due to Ortega’s illness forcing ‘T-City’ to withdraw from the bout on short notice.  Despite the solid lineup, fan reactions have been mixed with many pointing out the absence of several high-profile names from the event. Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.

Dana White lands in hot water with the fandom as ‘Noche UFC’ announcement misses the mark

Fans didn’t hold back to highlight their disappointment with Dana White’s announcement as Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria’s names were conspicuously missing from it. Holloway, ‘The BMF’ champion, and Topuria, the featherweight champion, were rumored to have been scheduled to face off at ‘Noche UFC’ but the fandom’s hopes have now been dashed with the UFC boss’s recent announcement.

“Nah we needed Max and Ilia on this card too, Dana you slept tbh”

Despite claiming that the event will be “greatest live combat sports show anybody has ever seen” and a ridiculous production cost of $17 million even before September was on the horizon, the UFC boss’s reveal of the card was labeled as “disappointing” by one fan

“Disappointing card for the sphere”

The sentiment that Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria should have been the featured bout on the card was re-iterated by another fan. Holloway, who recently shook the MMA sphere with a thunderous KO of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 and won the BMF title, was expected by many to attempt to re-gain his featherweight crown by taking on Ilia Topuria at ‘The Sphere’

“Should have been Illia n max”

Some fans claimed that the UFC’s attempt to boost Sean O’Malley’s profile as a bona fide star was the reason behind why the bantamweight champion was given a spot at ‘Noche UFC’ due to the event being a one-and-done affair and as such, ticket sales would be massive despite a lack of fan-favorite match-ups

“Had to give Sean the sphere to make it seem like he sells a lot of tickets”

However, there were also contrasting opinions put forth by the fans who likened the announcement of the event to an early Christmas present. While the absence of ‘Blessed’ and Topuria from the card was a sore spot for many, it’s undeniable that ‘The Sphere’ will be a spectacle to behold.

“Christmas came early this year. Thanks”

Fans also claimed that it’s their mission now to get a ticket for the event. In an appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show’, Dana White claimed that ‘The Sphere will feature a unique seating arrangement for the first time in the UFC as he revealed, “….you’re going to have the people that are in the seats, the people that are in the suites, and then the bottom level, that will watch the whole thing standing room only.”

“Ridiculously good now I’m on a mission to get my hands on a ticket”

But another fan pointed out that the card is lacking a lot of big names and major stars for an event that is only going to be held once at ‘The Sphere’ as the UFC boss had stated, “I’m going in one night, one time, that’s it. Never again.”

“Meh. Honestly, average lineup for all that hype they kept selling the public. I love the ufc, but they really need a tune up. A major one to be honest”

In conclusion, while Dana White’s announcement of the ‘Noche UFC’ card has certainly generated buzz, it has also left many fans underwhelmed. The absence of expected headliners like Max Holloway and Ilia Topuria has sparked disappointment, overshadowing the excitement for the scheduled matchups. Whether the card meets expectations or not, ‘Riyadh Season: Noche UFC’ at ‘The Sphere’ is set to make history with its unprecedented production and one-time-only spectacle! What fights would you have preferred instead of the announced matchups by Dana White? Let us know in the comments below!