UFC 306 Undercard Previews
*Fight times are to be confirmed
Daniel Zellhuber v Esteban Ribovics
Edgar Chairez v Kevin Borjas
Raul Rosas Jr. v Aoriqileng
Manuel Torres v Ignacio Bahamondes
Brian Ortega v Diego Lopes
UFC 306
The Sphere, La Vegas
TV: TNT Sports
Overnight Saturday/Sunday September 14-15
The countdown to UFC 306 is on, with “Noche UFC” set to deliver a memorable night of fights at the spectacular state-of-the-art Sphere in Las Vegas on September 14.
As we build up to fight night in Sin City, we’ll preview the two big-time title fights, as bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley takes on the relentless Merab Dvalishvili in the main event, while pride of Mexico, Alexa Grasso, puts her flyweight title on the line against the woman she defeated to win it, former longtime 125-pound queen Valentina Shevchenko.
We’ll take a close look at both of those matchups in the next couple of weeks but, this week, we’re diving into the undercard to highlight a fistful of fights that could deliver spectacular finishes.
Daniel Zellhuber v Esteban Ribovics
FIGHT ODDS: Zellhuber 1/2 – Ribovics 13/8
Mexican hopes will be pinned on lightweight Daniel Zellhuber when he steps into the Octagon to face Esteban Ribovics, but Mexico’s “Golden Boy” could find himself up against it when he takes on Argentina’s Esteban Ribovics.
Ribovics went the distance twice in 2023, losing to Loik Radzhabov and defeating Kamuela Kirk. But every other fight on his 14-fight record ended with a finish and with Ribovics getting his hand raised.
Even facing a noted knockout artist is no big deal for “El Gringo.” Terrance McKinney had seven sub-60-second finishes on his record when he faced Ribovics in May, but Ribovics put “T-Wrecks” out cold in just 37 seconds with one of the KOs of the year.
It means that Zellhuber will need to mind his P’s and Q’s against Ribovics. One lapse of concentration, and he could find himself staring up at the Sphere’s beautiful arena lighting.
Edgar Chairez v Kevin Borjas
FIGHT ODDS: Chairez 4/6 – Borjas 6/5
Often at Las Vegas UFC shows, the crowd can be a little slow to file into the building on fight night, and the early prelims can sometimes play out in front of a sparsely populated crowd. But the UFC’s matchmakers have done everything they can to ensure as many bums are in seats as possible from the start, with a hat-trick of great matchups to kick off the action.
This matchup screams action as Mexico’s Edgar Chairez takes on Peru’s Kevin Borjas in a bout that looks set to deliver fireworks aplenty.
Chairez’s record says it all. The man hates decisions. He’s only been to the scorecards three times in his career, and he’s lost them all. But, put him in a firefight, and Chairez shines. Four knockout wins and seven submission victories show that he’s happy to scrap it out on the feet, but when it hits the mat, he has the skills to get the job done on the ground.
He’s matched against Borjas, who has won eight of his nine career wins via knockout. The Peruvian lost his last two bouts, so you can bet he’ll be coming in all guns blazing in a bid to snap his losing streak and save his UFC career.
Manuel Torres v Ignacio Bahamondes
FIGHT ODDS: Torres 11/10 – Bahamondes 8/11
You just know that the UFC’s matchmakers were grinning from ear to ear when they booked this one.
Chile’s Ignacio Bahamondes is a one-man highlight reel. His spectacular fighting style makes him one of the standout prospects in the UFC’s talent-stacked lightweight division.
His opponent, Mexico’s Manuel Torres, might just be his perfect dance partner.
Torres has 15 career wins, with seven by KO and seven more by submission, and his fighting nickname of “El Loco” (The Crazy) is well deserved.
His fighting style is all about taking the shortest possible path to a finish, and that approach should guarantee a fun clash with Bahamondes, who has 10 KOs to his name.
If the judges are called into action for this one, I’ll be very surprised. But, in the highly unlikely event they are, it’ll be after three rounds of absolute insanity. Sit back and enjoy this one. It’ll be nuts, for as long as it lasts.
Raul Rosas Jr. v Aoriqileng
FIGHT ODDS: Rosas Jr. 1/6 – Aoriqileng 4/1
This one should have the crowd on their feet, as Mexican young gun Raul Rosas Jr. takes on Chinese action man Aoriqileng in a clash of generations.
Rosas is still a teenager, and the 19-year-old will look to prove that he’s already learned enough in his short career to dispense with “The Mongolian Murderer,” who is 13 years his elder, and has 37 professional fights to his name.
Aoriqileng loves to take the fight into the trenches and has gone bell to bell with four of his UFC opponents to date. But against Rosas he’ll be facing a young, exuberant prospect who has only seen the scorecards twice in his 10-fight career.
Rosas will be all fired up for this one, and you can expect him to come flying out of the gate in a bid to get the party started early on Mexican Independence Day weekend. And, if he’s able to get to Aoriqileng’s back, a submission finish could well be on the cards.
Brian Ortega v Diego Lopes
FIGHT ODDS: Ortega 11/8 – Lopes 4/7
Arguably the best featherweight not to have held championship gold in the UFC, Brian Ortega will look to defend his No. 3 ranking and position himself for another shot at the title when he takes on hard-charging Diego Lopes.
Ortega has been swimming in the deep end of the UFC’s 145-pound division for several years now and has a deserved reputation as a finisher of fights. But against Lopes he’ll find himself in a fight where, if he doesn’t finish his man, there’s a strong chance he could end up getting finished himself.
That’s because Lopes is a bonafide finishing machine. 22 of his 25 career wins have come inside the distance, and he’s an equal opportunities finisher to boot, with 10 KOs and 12 submissions to his name. His UFC debut saw him lose a short-notice assignment against Movsar Evloev. But, since then, Lopes has looked outstanding. Four fights, four wins, and three finishes have shown he’s worthy of a fight against the division’s elite.
This fight will see Lopes line up opposite the highest-calibre opponent of his career. With both men more than capable of finishing the fight, their clash could be one of the standout matchups on the card.
UFC 306 Undercard Previews
*Fight times are to be confirmed
Daniel Zellhuber v Esteban Ribovics
Edgar Chairez v Kevin Borjas
Raul Rosas Jr. v Aoriqileng
Manuel Torres v Ignacio Bahamondes
Brian Ortega v Diego Lopes
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