The UFC has adjusted the schedule for Noche UFC to avoid a direct clash with the blockbuster Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn boxing event, allowing fans to watch both cards on the same day.
The annual Mexican Independence Day celebration will take place on September 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. However, unlike a traditional UFC pay-per-view schedule, the event will begin much earlier, with the preliminary card starting at 11 a.m. PT and the main card at 2 p.m. PT.
The revised timing ensures the event concludes before Garcia and Benn are expected to make their ring walks later that evening in Las Vegas. Both events fall under the Zuffa banner, with UFC CEO Dana White also promoting the Garcia-Benn bout through Zuffa Boxing alongside Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh and Golden Boy Promotions.
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Noche UFC remains one of the UFC’s biggest annual events
Introduced in 2023, Noche UFC has quickly become one of the promotion’s marquee annual events, celebrating Mexican culture and the country’s rich contribution to mixed martial arts. Each edition has featured prominent Mexican fighters and high-profile matchups, making it one of the UFC’s most anticipated cards outside of its numbered pay-per-view schedule.
This year’s main event sees former interim featherweight champion Yair Rodriguez face surging Brazilian contender Jean Silva in a Mexico-versus-Brazil showdown with significant title implications. Rodriguez returns for his first appearance since defeating Patricio Pitbull in April 2025, while Silva looks to continue his rise after earning a decision victory over Arnold Allen in his most recent outing.
Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and heavyweight contenders headline stacked lineup
This year’s Noche UFC card also features several of Mexico’s biggest MMA stars. also features several of Mexico’s biggest MMA stars. Former two-time flyweight champion Brandon Moreno returns alongside Alexa Grasso, who is coming off a stunning knockout victory over Maycee Barber. Grasso’s perfectly timed finish left Barber unconscious on the canvas and immediately entered the conversation as one of the most brutal knockouts ever seen in UFC competition. Rising bantamweight contender David Martinez also features on the stacked lineup.
In the heavyweight division, Curtis Blaydes meets Waldo Cortes Acosta in a pivotal clash that could move the winner closer to a title opportunity against reigning champion Tom Aspinall.
Elsewhere, lightweight contender Ignacio Bahamondes makes the move up to welterweight to face veteran striker Muslim Salikhov, adding another intriguing matchup to the card.
With an earlier start time, fans will now be able to watch one of the UFC’s signature annual events before turning their attention to Ryan Garcia’s highly anticipated showdown with Conor Benn later that evening.
The scheduling adjustment allows combat sports fans to enjoy two of the biggest fight cards of the year without the events competing directly for viewers.
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