'Nothing Says Mexico Like Riyadh' - Fans React To Sphere Event Being Rebranded From UFC 306 To 'Riyadh Season Noche UFC'

The UFC's highly anticipated event at the Sphere was officially rolled out this week, but one thing caught fans' attention.

After the success of Noche UFC last September , which saw the promotion celebrate Mexican Independence Day for the first time with an event at T-Mobile Arena, Dana White promised bigger and better in 2024.

And his ambitions of becoming the first sporting event to be held at the Sphere in Las Vegas came to fruition when the promotion announced UFC 306 for the venue earlier this year .

During International Fight Week, the organization rolled out more details alongside presale ticket registration. Interestingly, that included a rebrand.

For the first time in its history, the UFC will include a sponsor in an event name. Saudi Arabia's recent partnership with the promotion has resulted in a change from UFC 306 to "Riyadh Season Noche UFC" for the September 14 event.

The card is expected to once again feature women's flyweight queen Alexa Grasso, with Mexico's own champion lined up to complete her trilogy with Valentina Shevchenko. Should "Bullet" choose against challenging her at Noche UFC again, Grasso has pointed to Manon Fiorot as an alternative opponent.

Jim Dolan, Sphere Entertainment Executive Chairman and CEO, spoke about the significance of hosting the first live sporting event from the state-of-the-art venue.

“The first sporting event at Sphere is a significant milestone not only for the venue, but also for live sports overall,” said Dolan. "UFC has been a longtime partner across the MSG Family of Companies, and we look forward to making history with them once again and delivering an experience that leverages Sphere’s cutting-edge technologies to reimagine what UFC and combat sports can look like.”

Fans React To Sphere Event Rebranding

Mixed martial arts enthusiasts were quick to react to confirmation of the Sphere-held pay-per-view on social media.

Many were in awe of the Noche UFC design displayed on the venue. Plenty, though, were distracted by the rebrand, with some questioning the decision to include the Riyadh Season sponsor in the event name.

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