In a twist that no one saw coming, Dana White and the promotion’s grand plans for the third-ever ‘Noche UFC’ event have just taken a sharp turn. Originally slated to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, the event will now be hosted on US soil instead. The reason? Reports have emerged that construction in the arena in Mexico wouldn’t be completed as per the planned date for the highly anticipated card.
According to a post on X by the UFC’s official account, “The 3rd annual #NocheUFC will now take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 13. The Noche UFC Fight Night card will celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports and continues UFC’s great tradition of holding an event around Mexican Independence Day.”
But for many, the switch from Mexico to Texas, and from PPV to possibly just a Fight Night, feels like a watering down of what has made ‘Noche UFC’ so special. In fact, the MMA sphere was buzzing about UFC 320 being the number for the card, but those hopes have seemingly been dashed with the latest update. And it’s not hard to understand why.
The 3rd annual #NocheUFC will now take place at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 13.
The Noche UFC Fight Night card will celebrate and honor the remarkable contributions of Mexican fighters to combat sports and continues UFC’s great tradition of holding an… pic.twitter.com/uhlP9WgMSL
— UFC (@ufc) June 1, 2025
The first-ever Noche UFC card was also a ‘Fight Night’ event headlined by a title fight rematch between Alexa Grasso and Valentina Shevchenko. The second card? It was the historic UFC 306 event, which was hosted at ‘The Sphere’ in Las Vegas and was headlined by two title fights, Merab Dvalishvili vs Sean O’Malley, and the trilogy bout between Grasso and Shevchenko.
As such, Noche UFC 3 had big shoes to fill. And by hosting the event in San Antonio, rather than a Mexican city, it has stirred disappointment amongst a vocal section of the fandom. Yet, there’s a ray of light. A rematch between Alexander Volkanovski and Yair Rodriguez is suddenly back in the spotlight. Despite no fights being announced for the card just yet, the fans have already started throwing out names! Here’s a look at what the netizens had to say.
Fans demand Alexander Volkanovski vs Yair Rodriguez rematch for Noche UFC 3 as event moves from Mexico to San Antonio
One fan wrote, “So it’s a fight night now?? Then no Volk Yair 2?” That comment captured a widespread worry. Originally billed as UFC 320, a pay-per-view card with all the fanfare, that downgrade to a Fight Night has left many questioning whether a title bout like Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez 2 would still fit the billing. The shift signals a possible pivot in priorities, raising doubts about the caliber of other fights fans might see on the card, as well.
Another user posted, “We still wanna see Volk vs Yair 2.” Despite former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker’s recent claims that “Mate, no one wants to see this fight. No one. No one was sitting at home thinking, ‘Hey, do you know what fight I want to run back? Volk and Yair’. “This response showed just how divided the fanbase actually is. Which side are you on, Whittaker’s or the fans’?
Someone else chimed in with, “Nothing’s more Mexican than hosting an event in America.” That jab echoed a larger frustration. Moving Noche UFC out of Mexico felt like a clear missed opportunity.
Another said, “Should do it in the Sphere again.” As mentioned above, the Sphere in Las Vegas hosted the iconic UFC 306 card with O’Malley vs. Dvalishvili. That event set a new standard for UFC’s presentation and fan experience. For many, replicating that energy for a heritage card like Noche UFC would’ve been a no-brainer. But after the event at ‘The Sphere’, Dana White had confessed the promotion will not be returning to the venue because, “I’m under contract with MGM, I told you guys leading up to this, the way that this whole thing played out, tonight was meant to happen.”
And finally, once concerned individual asked, “So no longer a PPV but a fight night card, what happens to UFC 320 then?” If Noche UFC is no longer UFC 320, then what became of that tentpole slot? Only time will tell.
To wrap things up, despite the backlash, the upcoming Noche UFC still holds intrigue, especially with a potential Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez rematch floating in the mix. Sure, the switch to San Antonio and the downgrade from PPV status have left many fans questioning the UFC’s commitment to honoring Mexican Independence Day in grand fashion.
But if Volkanovski and Rodriguez do end up headlining, that alone could rescue the card from underwhelming expectations. Will UFC use this opportunity to showcase Mexican talent in a meaningful way, or will this be remembered as the year Noche UFC lost its spark? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez 2 Receives a Huge Boost Despite Disappointing Response to UFC’s Major ‘Noche’ Announcement appeared first on EssentiallySports.