The UFC Noche card isn’t going back to The Sphere, but the lineup of fights is still pretty strong for the promotion’s annual celebration of Mexico’s fighting culture. This year’s event takes place in Glendale, Arizona and its compelling main event between Yair Rodriguez and Jean Silva was just confirmed. Let’s talk MMA.
Key Facts at a Glance
Everything you need for Noche UFC:
- Event: Noche UFC 4, Rodriguez vs. Silva
- Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
- Location: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
- Broadcast: Paramount+
- Prelims: 1 p.m. ET
- Main card: 5 p.m. ET
- Main event: Yair Rodriguez vs. Jean Silva, featherweights
- Bouts announced: 10
When And Where Is Noche UFC?
Noche UFC lands Saturday, September 12 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. It is the fourth installment of the franchise, which launched on Mexican Independence Day weekend in 2023 and has since run in Las Vegas and San Antonio.
The Glendale booking is part of a larger TKO push into Arizona announced this week, one that also brings the Royal Rumble to State Farm Stadium in February 2027.
What Time Does Noche UFC Start And How Can You Watch?
Prelims open at 1 p.m. ET with the main card following at 5 p.m. ET, both streaming on Paramount+. Those windows are unusually early for a UFC card, and the reason is scheduling traffic. Zuffa Boxing runs Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn in Las Vegas the same night, so the octagon work gets out of the way first.
What Is The Full Noche UFC Fight Card?
Ten bouts are currently announced. Bout order and card composition remain subject to change.
- Yair Rodriguez vs. Jean Silva, featherweights
- Manon Fiorot vs. Alexa Grasso, women’s flyweights
- Waldo Cortes-Acosta vs. Curtis Blaydes, heavyweights
- Brandon Moreno vs. Joseph Morales, flyweights
- Tim Elliott vs. Edgar Chairez, flyweights
- David Martinez vs. Dan Ige, bantamweights
- Kelvin Gastelum vs. Yousri Belgaroui, middleweights
- Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Muslim Salikhov, listed at both lightweight and welterweight across outlets
- JJ Aldrich vs. Regina Tarin, women’s flyweights
- Drakkar Klose vs. Tommy Gantt, lightweights
Rodriguez sits at No. 5 in the official featherweight rankings and has been sidelined 15 months following hand surgery. Silva is 6-1 in the promotion with four knockouts, and this is his second straight Noche UFC headline slot.
Which Noche UFC Fights Matter Most?
The main event figures to be an entertaining and informative war. We’ll find out how much Rodriguez still has left in the tank after tons of inactivity over the past few years. He hasn’t fought since battering Patricio Pitbull en route to a unanimous-decision win in April 2025. The clash with Silva will be Rodriguez’s third fight since 2023. He’s now 33 and if he plans on making another run at the 145-pound title, he needs to beat Silva. That’s a tall task.
Silva was seemingly on track for a title shot at 145 before he ran into Diego Lopes and was stopped at last year’s UFC Noche event. He has since rebounded and defeated Arnold Allen via unanimous decision in January. A second win in 2026 would put him on the doorstep of a title shot.
There’s also a pivotal clash in the women’s flyweight division as former champion Alexa Grasso tangles with top contender Manon Fiorot. Another former champion, Brandon Moreno is also in action against Joseph Morales. Overall, it should be a strong show.
The featherweight picture around the main event keeps shifting, with one former champion at 145 already eyeing a move to lightweight. A Rodriguez win in Glendale drops him straight back into that conversation.
