UFC’s biggest tournament in the “Sphere” and Canelo’s fight. Top fights for next week
Igor Nekrasov September 9, 2024, 07:45 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
O’Malley, Dvalishvili, Shevchenko and many others are on the program.
A new week is coming, which will bring martial arts fans a lot of interesting fights and exciting tournaments. UFC 306, which will be held at Sphere, stands out and will be directed by Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili. On the same card, attention will be paid to the fight between Alex Grasso and Valentin Shevchenko, which completes the trilogy. Well, in the world of boxing, all fans can expect a fight between one of the most popular boxers of our time – Saul Alvarez. Canelo will defend his belts against undefeated Edgar Berlanga.
September 14. Ilyas Khamzin – Junior Luis
The traditional mixed martial arts tournament RCC Intro 33 will be held in Yekaterinburg. On the main card of the tournament, spectators will see a fight between one of the brightest fighters of the Ural League, Ilyas Khamzin. No matter what rules Khamzin follows, his fights are always colorful, with strikes and exchanges, which is why fans love Ilyas. The Brazilian junior Luis will come to visit him, who also has excellent striking skills. The fight between two bright fighters will definitely brighten up the tournament, there is no doubt about that.
The night of September 15th. Sean O’Malley – Merab Dvalishvili
A highly anticipated fight for mixed martial arts fans. Sean O’Malley has gone from a guy whose appearance was the subject of ridicule by many to a dangerous champion. He defeated Petr Yan, then turned off the lights of Aljamain Sterling, and then declassified Marlon Vera. Now one of the top UFC stars has a difficult task in the fight against Merab Dvalishvili. The Georgian fighter did not have a title shot for a long time, but with his winning streak he earned the right to fight for the belt. A brilliant drummer versus a cardio machine with wrestling – a confrontation of styles that will not leave anyone indifferent.
The night of September 15th. Alexa Grasso – Valentina Shevchenko
Valentina Shevchenko has been one of the most dominant UFC champions in women’s fighting. In 2018, she made her debut in the women’s flyweight division, won the championship title through fighting and defended it seven times. However, in March 2023, Alexa Grasso caused a sensation by choking Valentina and taking the championship belt from her. In the rematch, the girls had a very close and competitive fight, which ended in a draw, allowing a trilogy to be set up. For Shevchenko, this is perhaps the last chance to take the belt from Grasso – it is unlikely that she will be given a fourth fight if Valentina loses.
The second fight between Grasso and Shevchenko ended in a draw:
Does UFC need a trilogy? Shevchenko did not return the belt due to a strange decision by the judge
The night of September 15th. Brian Ortega – Diego López
A fight that will determine the next contender for the featherweight belt. Yes, there are a lot of questions here for both fighters, but Ortega is ranked third in the rankings, and Lopez, after losing to Evloev, went on a serious winning streak, puts on brilliant fights and helps the UFC, coming out on short notice. Therefore, it is likely that the winner of this confrontation, especially if the victory is brilliant and convincing, will be able to outdo the winner in the duel between Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling.
The night of September 15th. Saul Alvarez – Edgar Berlanga
Canelo’s fights always attract special and increasing attention. Yes, after the loss to Dmitry Bivol, the Mexican is often criticized for having stopped boxing serious opponents, avoiding the same rematch with Bivol or a fight with David Benavidez and choosing simpler options. However, Alvarez remains one of the most recognizable boxers on the planet, whose fights still attract enormous attention. This coming weekend on the eve of Mexico’s Independence Day, Canelo will delight his fans with a fight against undefeated Edgar Berlanga. All three of the Mexican’s championship belts will be at stake; one, according to the IBF, was stripped from him for refusing to box against a mandatory challenger.
Saul Alvarez
Photo: Fake Images
The night of September 15th. Erislandy Lara – Danny Garcia
On the card of the tournament, which will be headlined by Canelo, spectators will see another title fight. WBA world middleweight champion Erislandy Lara will share the ring with Danny Garcia. Yes, both boxers are almost 80 years old, but both have enormous experience and, most importantly, a good punch: Lara has 18 knockout wins in his career, while his opponent has 21 opening wins. So this fight promises to be intriguing.
