UFC’s Nasty Noche Deserves Endorsement After First Impression
The Unexpected Magic of UFC 306: Noche UFC
As I reflect on my experience with UFC 306: Noche UFC, I’m reminded of the power of uncertainty. In the lead-up to the event, I found myself skipping my usual UFC fight week traditions – no Embedded episodes, no press conference, and no ceremonial weigh-ins. My lack of enthusiasm was the result of the uncertainty that leads to reservation rather than curiosity.
A Hodgepodge of a Card
The promotional buildup for UFC 306 was unlike anything I’d seen before. The name – UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche UFC – left me with more questions than answers. The star of the promotional buildup wasn’t the homegrown, hype-machine-manufactured Sean O’Malley or Mexico’s own Alexa Grasso, but rather The Sphere (or simply "Sphere," as it was referred to throughout the broadcast). A Mexican-inspired Fight Night that somehow became a numbered pay-per-view presented by a Saudi Arabian festival series, boasting an arena as its main attraction, left me scratching my head.
A Night to Remember
As the event unfolded, I found myself won over by the standard brilliance of the most production-savvy combat sports promotion this side of WWE. The suspense surrounding what a sporting event at The Sphere might look like paid off more abundantly than the one-way drubbing most educated fans correctly predicted Sean O’Malley would receive in the main event.
Why Noche UFC?
Above all, the main question I had before last night was why did the UFC’s first and potentially only appearance at The Sphere need to be on Mexican Independence Day? As Noche UFC neared, my thinking was that an event headlined by the eventual return of Conor McGregor or Jon Jones would have made for a greater pop cultural spectacle, International Fight Week would have led to less complicated branding, and UFC 300 would have allowed for a deeper card.
A Breathtaking Storytelling Experience
No alternative I had in mind for a more appropriate Sphere card would have resulted in the breathtaking storytelling of Noche UFC. The six interstitials produced by Oscar-winning filmmaker Carlos López Estrada’s Antigravity Academy made perfect use of The Sphere’s immersive capabilities, transporting audiences throughout Mexican history with images that inspired awe even through a TV screen.
A Night to Remember
The fights themselves lived up to the pageantry of the night in ways only the drama of high-level MMA could, especially when booked in celebration of a culture’s fighting spirit. Minutes after a short film told the story of Indigenous warriors, the earliest people to fight for the land now known as Mexico, Mexican flyweight Ronaldo Rodriguez escaped two near-completed submissions and persevered his way to a unanimous decision over Ode’ Osbourne. Right after that, Mexico City-born Daniel Zellhuber battled Argentina’s Esteban Ribovics with the breakneck pace of a Street Fighter button-mashing, losing on the cards but winning over fans like me who were watching him compete for the first time.
A Spectacle to Behold
Similar to 300 before it, there are images from UFC 306 that’ll be etched in my brain for the rest of my fandom; thrilling moments I would have never predicted when comparing the names on the card to the hyperbolic hype that preceded it.
A Night to Remember
I don’t know if Noche UFC turned out to be "the greatest sporting event of all time," as UFC CEO Dana White promised in July. In his post-fight press availability, White admitted himself it’d be up to the public to decide if the night lived up to that claim. In general, I’m a bit allergic to making statements that grand. But what I will confess is Noche UFC was the most impressively produced televised sporting event I’ve seen with my own two eyes – better than any Super Bowl, NBA Finals, or WrestleMania I’ve ever watched.
The Legacy of Noche UFC
It was a spectacle I couldn’t quite convince myself to anticipate, but one that I’ll never forget. If you’re still with me, scroll or click through the following photos for a look at what made the night so memorable.
[Image: A photo of The Sphere]
[Image: A photo of the fighters during the event]
[Image: A photo of the crowd during the event]
[Image: A photo of the main event]
[Image: A photo of the post-fight celebration]
[Image: A photo of the fighters with the Octagon Girls]
[Image: A photo of the event’s production]
[Image: A photo of the crowd during the event]
[Image: A photo of the main event]
[Image: A photo of the post-fight celebration]
[Image: A photo of the fighters with the Octagon Girls]
[Image: A photo of the event’s production]
