Viva Las Vegas indeed.
On Saturday night, the UFC successfully carried out the first-ever sporting event at the newly-opened Sphere Arena in Las Vegas. This event was orchestrated to celebrate Mexican Independence Day and Riyadh Season in honor of both events’ impact on the mixed martial arts community.
After months of speculation from fans on whether the idea of a UFC event in the Sphere would live up to expectations, the event was a hit. Fans were blown away by the production value and added elements of the pay-per-view experience. The main card was kicked off with a perfect example of Mexican grit and determination as Ronaldo Rodriguez fought through a first-round knockdown and secured a unanimous decision win over Ode Osbourne. Just his second fight in the UFC, Rodriguez displayed perseverance and earned the respect of fans watching around the world.
Next up was a striking showcase between lightweights Daniel Zellhuber and Esteban Ribovics. This bout went the distance with Ribovics pulling off the win via a split decision. With a fight of the night bonus, an award handed out by UFC president Dana White after every major card, Ribovics is keeping his momentum in the lightweight division after his last win being a first-round TKO over star Terrance McKinney.
Halfway through the main card, Brian Ortega faced Diego Lopez on his journey back into title contention. However, Lopez proved that his title run took center stage instead, as he quickly woke Ortega up with a strong right hand. While Ortega put on a show for the remaining 14 minutes of the fight, Lopez had the overwhelming upper hand and continued his five-fight win streak with a unanimous decision victory.
In the co-main event, Valentina Shevchenko lit up the octagon with undeniable joy after regaining her belt, thanks to a dominant grappling showcase over Alexa Grasso. While some casual fans look down on wrestling-dominant bouts, the former flyweight queen did everything she needed to ensure she left the arena with an eighth ruby for her flyweight championship belt. After her impressive performance, Shevchenko claimed her mindset was, “win the fight or die there in the octagon.”
Finally, in the second co-main event, Merab Dvalishvilli pulled off the ultimate upset and defeated rising star Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight championship of the world. Showing impressive wrestling skills while taunting both O’Malley and his corner team, Dvalishvilli made sure the event ended with a new champion . . . and a previous one whose skills are now being questioned.
In his post-fight press conference, Dvalishvilli explained, “I was ready for war, and he was waiting for me. I made him look normal.” His opponent, however, did not attend the post-fight press conference.
Overall, the event was filled with not only exciting matchups, but also the history of Mexican determination. In fact, animated chapters played in between each bout in the theater-like facility. The details of this event dug deep, with even the octagon girls having new attire to match the chapters of the film as it played throughout the night.
Enhanced production and visuals gave viewers a beautiful and shocking display that even had the commentary team amazed. Former fighter and now ESPN analyst Daniel Cormier even announced that, “every event should be here,” when referring to the Sphere.
White unfortunately put those hopes to bed after announcing that this will be the “only” Sphere event in the near future due to an ongoing contract the UFC has with the MGM Grand. However, the statistics of the event tell a different story that White might want to reconsider.
With the highest gate at the Sphere — $22 million in total — and the record for the highest-grossing UFC event, it is safe to say another Sphere card could be in the works.
“Literally, the whole thing was seamless,” White said when asked if the event was completed as planned. “It went perfect. We didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse, that was a worry coming in here. But they nailed it. The team absolutely nailed it.”
White claimed his phone has already been blowing up with ideas for a Fourth of July event dedicated to the history of American athletes in mixed martial arts, an idea that would leave fans filled with anticipation.
All told, UFC Noche was not just a hit, it was a trendsetter. This event could potentially change the way that fans view sporting events in the new era of architecture and technology. Not only was it refreshing and exciting for the everyday fight fan, but it also provided viewers with a new experience that they are itching to have again.
