Noche UFC card undergoes change to accommodate Ryan Garcia vs Conor Benn

Dana White’s annual Noche UFC event on September 12 will start far earlier than normal this year.

That’s because the fourth edition of the card designed to celebrate Mexican Independence Day has fallen on the same day as Ryan Garcia‘s blockbuster WBC world title bout against Conor Benn.

Getty

Of course, UFC CEO Dana White is promoting both events.

He has teamed up with Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions, to whom Garcia is signed, for Benn’s second appearance at Zuffa Boxing, led by White and Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.

On Tuesday, White announced the main event for Noche UFC in Arizona and there was a notable change compared to typical big UFC cards.

What time does Noche UFC start?

Doors at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena for Noche UFC will open at 10am local time with the preliminary card starting at 11am PT (2pm ET, 7pm BST).

The main card is then set to get underway from 2pm PT (5pm ET, 10pm BST).

This will allow combat sports fans plenty of time to tune into Garcia vs Benn later in the day at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Garcia and Benn are expected to make their ring walks at 8pm PT (11pm ET, 4am BST on Sunday).

But before that, a mouthwatering Noche UFC card goes down in Glendale.

In the main event, top-ranked featherweights Yair Rodriguez and Jean Silva collide in a battle of Mexico vs Brazil.

Rodriguez, who failed to unify his interim featherweight title in an undisputed bout with Alexander Volkanovski three years ago, hasn’t fought since April 2025 when he outpointed Patricio Pitbull.

Getty

Getty

Silva, meanwhile, claimed a unanimous decision over Arnold Allen in his last appearance at UFC 326.

‘Lord’ has lost just once in seven UFC fights — a bloody second-round stoppage defeat to Diego Lopes at Noche UFC 3 in September 2025.

Also on this year’s celebratory show, ranked Mexican fighters Brandon Moreno, Alexa Grasso and David Martinez feature in respective bouts.

And Waldo Cortes Acosta takes on Curtis Blaydes to decide who will move closer to getting a shot at the UFC heavyweight title held by Tom Aspinall.

Furthermore, Ignacio Bahamondes is moving up to welterweight to fight Muslim Salikhov.

UFC Schedule

There are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.

The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.

On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.

With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.