UFC 306 has been rebranded ahead of its highly anticipated debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday, the promotion announced the pay-per-view event will be titled “Riyadh Season Noche UFC” and will officially take place on Sept. 14 at the metropolis' new attraction to celebrate Mexico's Independence Day.
The event will mark the first in UFC history to feature a sponsor with title partner status.
“This will be one of the greatest sporting events of all time,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a press release. “What we are trying to accomplish at the Sphere will never happen again. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for sports fans. At the same time, it will be a wonderful tribute to the Mexican people for their extraordinary contributions to combat sports.”
“We are pleased to have Turki Al-Arshik and the Saudi General Entertainment Authority working together to make this the biggest event in the history of combat sports. Their participation shows how much interest there is from around the world. Riyadh Season Noche UFC is sure to be an unforgettable event.”
UFC made its first foray into Saudi Arabia earlier this month with a Fight Night event that ended with Robert Whittaker defeating Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. In May, it was announced that UFC's partnership with Saudi Arabia was extended, with another UFC event scheduled to take place in the kingdom in 2025.
The promotion put on a spectacular Noche UFC event this September as a Fight Night card at T-Mobile Arena, where UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko faced off in the main event to a draw. That trilogy bout is expected to take place on the Sept. 14 card, but Grasso told reporters on Wednesday that Shevchenko may not be her opponent on that card.
