Valentina Shevchenko feels UFC 306 is about more than just celebrating Mexican Independence Day.
Shevchenko will challenge Alexa Grasso for the women’s flyweight title in the co-main event of UFC 306, which takes place at The Sphere in Las Vegas on Sept. 14. “Brett” was initially hesitant to accept a trilogy bout on this particular card due to past experiences.
Shevchenko lost the belt to Grasso by submission at UFC 285 in March 2023. The two rematched last September at UFC Noche, the promotion’s first event celebrating Mexican Independence Day. The bout ended in a controversial split draw, with Grasso retaining the belt. Shevchenko complained that referee Mike Bell scored the fifth round 10-8 in Grasso’s favor, allowing the Mexican champion to retain the belt on the Independence Day card.
So when Shevchenko was offered a trilogy fight a year later at UFC 306, the former champion was initially reluctant to accept. The fight is also a tribute to Mexico’s Independence Day, but she points out that UFC 306 is not just a tribute to Mexico’s Independence Day. The card, titled Noche UFC Riyadh Season, marks the company’s first collaboration with Turki Al-Arshiq, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. The company also confirmed that it would be a one-off event at The Sphere in Las Vegas, likely due to the event’s enormous costs.
UFC 306: O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili airs Saturday at 10pm ET on ESPN+. Order now!
Shevchenko also likes the idea of UFC highlighting a country’s culture by featuring it on a card, and hopes the promotion will spread similar courtesy to other countries.
“It’s like Noche, but it’s not like Noche,” Shevchenko told Shakiel Majli. “There’s a lot of ingredients added. It feels like UFC 306.” [co-main] “UFC will be holding its first events of the season in the US and Riyadh, Georgia. Actually, I like this idea. I think it’s really cool to showcase a country’s culture. I hope that in the future, starting with Mexico for example, UFC will be able to embrace other countries’ cultures in the same way. And not just fight, but also introduce each country’s culture to the world. For people who don’t know much about a place, it will expand their knowledge and get them interested in traveling… so I hope that in the future, more countries will participate in these cultural events.”
