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We're now just over a week away from Noche UFC 306. This event will take place at the Las Vegas Sphere and should be one of the biggest of 2024.
Noche UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili features two major title fights, but there are plenty of other fighters on the card who could steal the show.
Some of them could well break into title contention with a big win, while others may simply gain more traction in the early days of their octagon careers.
Here are five fighters who could steal the show at Noche UFC 306: Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili.
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#5. Ronaldo Rodriguez - UFC flyweight contender
The UFC's flyweight division remains one of the promotion's thinner weight classes. Therefore, any decent prospect there has a chance to climb the ladder quickly.
Noche UFC 306 has such a prospect in Mexico's Ronaldo Rodriguez, who is set to face veteran Ode Osbourne at the event.
The unfortunately-nicknamed 'Lazy Boy' won his octagon debut on relatively late notice back in February and shone in a second-round submission win over Denys Bondar.
With a record of 16-2, Rodriguez definitely has potential, particularly when you consider his style of fighting. He was happy to walk through punches from Bondar in their fight and eventually dispatched the Ukrainian with a rear naked choke.
Osbourne is an explosive fighter who will definitely bring out the best in the Mexican, but he's also an opponent who should be beatable for the prospect.
If 'Lazy Boy' fights as he did in his debut and picks up another impressive win, he could definitely steal the show next weekend.
#4. Daniel Zellhuber - UFC lightweight contender
It's widely believed that the UFC loves to push Mexican or Latin-American fighters as potential stars in that market, and one of the latest ones to receive a push is Daniel Zellhuber.
Judging from what we've seen so far, though, 'Golden Boy' may well be capable of living up to that hype.
After losing his octagon debut in disappointing fashion, he's been on a roll, winning his next three fights to take his overall record to 15-1.
More importantly, he's looked fantastic in those wins. Last September, his slick anaconda choke finish of Christos Giagos earned him a $50k performance bonus, opening the fans' eyes to his abilities.
Most recently, he defeated fellow prospect Francisco Prado in a wild fight that saw the Mexican show off not only his striking skills but also his incredible toughness. Again, this fight earned Zellhuber another $50k bonus.
Next week's event will see 'Golden Boy' handed another main card spotlight as he's set to face Esteban Ribovics in what should be another winnable fight.
If he can take his current run to four wins in a row, then observers may well start talking about him as a potential contender.
More to the point, though, if he produces another showing like he's done before, he could well steal the show - and gain another bonus in the process.
#3. Manuel Torres - UFC lightweight contender
While Daniel Zellhuber seems to be the UFC's favored Mexican lightweight prospect right now, his compatriot Manuel Torres may well have a brighter future.
'El Loco' is already 3-0 in his octagon career, having earned a spot on the roster with a victory on Dana White's Contender Series in 2021. Overall, these wins have taken his record to an impressive 15-2.
It's not just his wins that have marked him out, though. He's finished all three of his foes thus far and has done so in a truly devastating fashion.
Unlike some fighters who appear to want to have fun during their bouts, Torres comes across as a stone-cold killer, and he fights like that, too. His elbow knockout of Nicolas Motta, for instance, was a ruthless and scary finish that immediately went viral.
'El Loco' will have his hands full at Noche UFC 306, though, as he's set to face a wild striker in his own right in Ignacio Bahamondes. The Chilean is 4-1 in his octagon career and has scored some highlight-reel knockouts along the way.
The chances of this fight going the distance seem slim, and if Torres can produce another violent finish, he's definitely got the capability to steal the show.
#2. Raul Rosas Jr - UFC bantamweight contender
Still the youngest fighter on the UFC's roster, Raul Rosas Jr. definitely has the raw ability to steal the show at next weekend's pay-per-view, something he's no stranger to doing.
'El Nino Problema' garnered a lot of hype after signing with the promotion following a win on Dana White's Contender Series in 2022, and it's hard not to say he's lived up to it thus far.
Outside of a controversial loss to Christian Rodriguez—who missed weight for the bout—Rosas Jr. has looked fantastic. He's beaten three foes and has already shown huge leaps forward in his overall ability, particularly in his striking.
Sure, it's far too early in his career to proclaim him a contender for the bantamweight title, but he doesn't even turn 20 years old for another month! He's still got over three years to attempt to become the youngest titleholder in UFC history, for instance.
Next weekend's event will see him face China's Aori Qileng, a fighter with more experience who is definitely beatable.
Basically, this should be a showcase for 'El Nino Problema' to show off some more improvements to his game. If he can pick up another stylish win, he could definitely steal the show.
#1. Diego Lopes - UFC featherweight contender
The fighter who definitely feels the most likely to steal the show at Noche UFC 306 next weekend is featherweight contender Diego Lopes.
The Mexico-based Brazilian has skyrocketed up the card since his late-notice octagon debut in 2023, and he now finds himself on the cusp of a title shot.
If he can beat Brian Ortega next weekend, then he could well be next in line for either Ilia Topuria or Max Holloway, a truly remarkable feat. So can he do it?
Based on what we've seen of him so far, it's definitely possible. He gave Movsar Evloev fits on the ground with his Brazilian jiu-jitsu despite his late notice, and since then, he's shown lethal skills both on the ground and standing.
Ortega, of course, has far more experience, and he's just as lethal, holding finishes over the likes of Frankie Edgar and Yair Rodriguez.
After 'T-City' withdrew from their initial booking earlier this year, though, leaving Lopes to smack late-notice replacement Dan Ige around, it feels like the momentum is all with the Brazilian.
Essentially, Lopes feels like one of those fighters who the UFC stumbled upon but who is destined for greatness, and next weekend could be one of his final steps toward that.
With that in mind, he could definitely steal the show at the Sphere next weekend.
