UFC 306 provided plenty of unforgettable images from the Sphere in Las Vegas. With the venue’s unique shape and floor-to-ceiling LED screens, the setting was inspiring and provided fans and media with some of the most unforgettable scenes ever seen at a UFC event.
The theme of the evening was “Noche UFC,” in honor of Mexican Independence Day. In addition to featuring fighters of Mexican heritage in every fight except the main event, which saw Merab Dvalishvili crush Sean O’Malley, the UFC offered impressive visuals between the main event fights.
There were also more static backdrops for the fights that looked like something out of a Mayan-themed video game. The Sphere features the world’s largest LED screen and came at a significant cost to the UFC: It reportedly paid $20 million for the high-tech venue.
In addition to Dvalishvili’s victory, highlights included the fight between Esteban Ribovics and Daniel Zellhuber, which Ribovics won, and a masterful performance by Valentina Shevchenko to regain her women’s flyweight belt from Alexa Grasso. Shevchenko scored a shutout and kept Grasso on the mat for more than half the fight.
Here are some of the best images from a visually spectacular fight night on Saturday in Las Vegas:
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 306 in Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at The Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) (Cooper Neill via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 306 in Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at The Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) (Josh Hedges via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 306 in Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at The Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC) (Josh Hedges via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of Sphere before a fight between Irene Aldana of Mexico and Norma Dumont of Brazil during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: Manuel Torres of Mexico prepares for a lightweight bout against Ignacio Bahamondes of Chile during UFC 306 in Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at The Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) (Chris Unger via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of Sphere during a Mexican Independence Weekend celebration between fights during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of Sphere during a Mexican Independence Weekend celebration between fights during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of Sphere during UFC 306: Riyadh Season Noche on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) (Christian Petersen via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 14: A general view of the Octagon during the UFC 306 in Riyadh Season Noche UFC event at The Sphere on September 14, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC) (Cooper Neill via Getty Images)
