The UFC’s Noche UFC event on September 12 is being moved to an early afternoon start time. This change is to avoid a direct broadcast conflict with the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn boxing match, promoted by the UFC’s sister company, Zuffa Boxing.
The event, set for the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, will now begin much earlier than a standard fight card. According to an official UFC press release, the new schedule has been confirmed. “The prelims will air at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT, followed by the main card airing at 5 pm ET / 2 pm PT. All bouts will stream live on Paramount+.” This means the main card will start at 2 p.m. local time in Arizona.
Both Noche UFC and the Garcia vs. Benn fight are scheduled to air on Paramount+. The scheduling adjustment is a strategic business decision to prevent the two promotions from competing for the same audience on the streaming platform. The move effectively positions the Zuffa Boxing event as the evening’s main attraction for the Mexican Independence Day weekend, a date traditionally significant for major combat sports events.
Noche UFC, which features the return of former Mexican champions Brandon Moreno and Alexa Grasso, will now serve as the lead-in event. This decision highlights the company’s focus on its new boxing venture, prioritizing the Garcia-Benn card in the coveted prime-time slot. It also creates the irony of an event named ‘Noche UFC’, or ‘UFC Night’, concluding before evening begins.
