COLUMN: UFC 306 is can't-miss entertainment
A couple of months ago, Dana White, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) CEO, announced that UFC would host a once-in-a-lifetime event this Saturday in honor of Mexican Independence Day.
According to White, UFC 306 will be even greater than UFC 300, which many fans regard as the greatest event in MMA history.
"Believe me when I tell you, everybody was all fired up about UFC 300, this thing is going to be," White said about UFC 306 in June. "And again, if you are Mexican and you are on this, it's just going to be like nothing anybody's ever seen before for a live event."
There are a couple of key fighters on the card that White believes will showcase a spectacle unlike any in mixed martial arts.
UFC 306: Riyadh Season will be headlined by Sean O'Malley versus Merab Dvalishvili. O'Malley is the current UFC bantamweight champion known for his outgoing personality. He talks trash toward his opponents and wears flashy outfits during press conferences but can land highlight-reel knockouts. On the other hand, his opponent, Dvalishvili, is the toughest test O'Malley will have to face yet. Dvalishvili has dominated his last 10 opponents and is coming off wins against three former UFC champions.
Bad blood had been boiling as both fighters talked nonstop trash long before they were confirmed to fight against each other. Last year, in UFC 292, O'Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling. Sterling was the UFC bantamweight champion at the time and a close friend of Dvalishvili.
For more than four years now, Dvalishvili has been regarded as the rightful challenger for the UFC bantamweight strap but refused to fight his friend Sterling. Now that Sterling has moved up to featherweight, Dvalishvili is fully locked on to claiming the bantamweight belt.
In the co-main event, Alexa Grasso is taking on Valentina Shevchenko in a trilogy bout. Shevchenko is regarded as one of the greatest female fighters in UFC history. After earning the women's flyweight title in UFC 231, Shevchenko defended her belt seven times before losing to Grasso on UFC 285 in March of 2023.
Shevchenko was given a rematch six months later against Grasso, but the bout ended in a controversial draw that many believed Shevchenko should have rightfully won. The UFC felt that both fighters should be given one more chance to decide who truly is the best fighter in the women's flyweight division.
In the feature fight, the long-time veteran Brian Ortega will allow the massively hyped-up prospect Diego Lopes an opportunity to claim a spot amongst the elite of the UFC Featherweight division. Ortega has been a staple of the top five in the featherweight division for quite some time. His only losses are against former champions such as Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski and an early injury stoppage against former interim champion Yair Rodriguez, who Ortega beat in their rematch.
On the other hand, Lopes is a prospect who caught everyone's eye after his knockout of Sodiq Yusuff during UFC 300. Outside of his loss during his debut, Lopes has torn through every opponent he has fought and won his last four fights.
Although there is no title on the line, many fans expect the winner of this fight to be the next challenger for the winner of Ilia Topuria versus Holloway, which will take place in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, next month. Both Ortega and Lopes are renowned for making jiu-jitsu exciting to watch, even for those who have never practiced the art before.
As reported by MMAWeekly, White also promises to prepare a special "Love Letter To Mexico" for the Mexican fighters and fans during UFC 306.
Whether you are a long-time fan or just getting into the sport, tune in to UFC 306 and expect one of the greatest spectacles of the year in combat sports.
