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This content was machine-translated from the French version.
The organization took advantage of UFC Oklahoma City night, Saturday, July 19, to unveil the first six fights of Noche UFC 4. Head to Glendale, Arizona, on September 12, for this annual event celebrating Mexican independence, now firmly anchored in the calendar. Two former champions of the organization sit atop a card that mixes experience, promise, and seasoned brawlers.
Two former champions, two opposite trajectories
The former flyweight king (23 wins, 10 losses, 2 draws) will face Joseph Morales, winner of the thirty-third season of The Ultimate Fighter.
Brandon Moreno returns to the cage. The former flyweight king (23 wins, 10 losses, 2 draws) will face Joseph Morales, winner of the thirty-third season of The Ultimate Fighter. The Mexican from Tijuana remains one of the most popular figures in the organization, and his name is tied to the very identity of this event, designed as a showcase for Spanish-speaking MMA. Since he gave up his belt, Moreno has alternated between close fights and periods of uncertainty, but the prospect of fighting in front of a crowd on his side in Arizona offers him an ideal launching pad. On the other side, Joseph Morales (12-2) is no pushover: undefeated in his last three fights, the TUF product will look to topple a legend to step into another dimension.
The other former champion on the card is also Mexican. Alexa Grasso (16-4-1) will face France's Manon Fiorot (13-2) in what looks like a true rankings fight at flyweight. Grasso ruled the division before losing her crown; she approaches this event with the urgency to prove she remains a credible threat for the title. Fiorot, the Niçoise nicknamed "The Beast," keeps delivering solid performances and doesn't hide her ambition: a win over Grasso would put her on the doorstep of another title shot. The clash of styles — the Mexican's boxing pressure against the Frenchwoman's physical power — promises a high-level tactical battle in the Desert Diamond Arena cage.
Heavy hitters and flyweights scratching
The rest of the card mixes seasoned veterans and young prospects. In the heavyweight division, the Dominican Waldo Cortes Acosta (14-2) will face Curtis Blaydes (18-5, one no-contest), an American wrestler known for his ability to break the rhythm of any striker. A duel between two completely opposite profiles, the outcome of which could reshape the middle of the rankings in the premier division.
Still in the flyweight division, Tim Elliott (18-13-1) will put his experience of twenty UFC fights on the line against Mexico's Edgar Chairez (9-5). Elliott, as unpredictable as he is resilient, excels at destabilizing his opponents with constant movement and unexpected transitions, a style that has already caught several favorites off guard. Chairez, twelve years his junior, will have home-field advantage and motivation boosted by the Noche stakes.
In the middleweight division, Kelvin Gastelum (19-10, one no-contest) will meet Yousri Belgaroui (1-0 in the UFC). Gastelum, a former title contender at under 84 kilos, is looking to relaunch a career marked by fleeting highs and prolonged lows, having pushed Israel Adesanya to his limits without managing to establish himself permanently among the elite. Belgaroui, a converted Dutch kickboxer, will try to double his win count in the organization against the biggest name of his young career.
Opening the announced hostilities, American JJ Aldrich (12-5) will face Regina Tarin in a women's flyweight duel between two fighters seeking consistency at the highest level.
The top of the card awaits its name
The UFC has not yet officially announced the main event of this fourth edition. The Noche tradition requires top Mexican or Latin American headliners, and the current card already boasts a solid Hispanic contingent — Moreno, Grasso, Chairez, Cortes Acosta. The Desert Diamond Arena, formerly the Coyotes' NHL home converted into an 18,000-seat venue, will host the event for the first time. The choice of Glendale, in the western suburbs of Phoenix, follows a demographic logic: Arizona has one of the highest concentrations of Hispanic population in the United States, an audience the UFC intends to retain long-term.
Tickets should go on sale in the coming days. With six fights already locked in and several names capable of shaking up the rankings, the fourth edition of Noche UFC is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated Fight Nights of the second half of the year. One big question remains: who will top this already well-stocked card?
