Sep 14, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Sean OMalley of the United States (red gloves) fights Merab Dvalishvili of Georgia (blue gloves) during Riyadh Season Noche UFC 306 at The Sphere. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Reports Hint At Major Change For UFC 320 With Both Location And Championship Fight In Question

Venue swap and featherweight title fight shake-up loom over UFC 320 as uncertainty builds!

The UFC has built its reputation on delivering fights exactly when and where they promise them. Fans book flights, hotels get reserved, and anticipation builds for months before major events. But sometimes the best-laid plans go sideways, and that appears to be exactly what’s happening with UFC 320.

The September 14th event was supposed to celebrate Mexican Independence Day in style. The UFC was bringing the octagon to Arena Guadalajara for what promised to be an electric atmosphere.The plan seemed perfect. Hold the event in Mexico, feature Mexican star Yair Rodriguez in the main event, and give fans south of the border a championship fight to remember. Unfortunately, this may be in jeopardy now.

UFC 320 May Have A Change Of Venue

The problems started when Arena Guadalajara ran into serious construction delays that forced them to cancel all events through September 4th. This puts UFC 320’s September 14th date in serious jeopardy, even though it falls just outside that cancellation window. According to Ariel Helwani, the promotion is seriously considering moving the entire event back to the United States rather than risk any last-minute complications.

“They [Arena Guadalajara] have according to reports cancelled events upto first week of September. I know for a fact that there have been talks of moving the event to the US. I heard Las Vegas.”

🚨 There have been talks of moving #UFC320 from Mexico to the USA, amid reports that construction delays have forced Arena Guadalajara — the planned Noche UFC venue — to cancel events through September 4

(per @arielhelwani, @ArenaGdlMx) pic.twitter.com/yO0zb5M2C1
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 27, 2025

The UFC doesn’t like to take chances when it comes to venue readiness. This is especially true for pay-per-view events that generate millions in revenue. If the event were to change location, it would create a domino effect that goes far beyond just changing zip codes. Actual fights on the card would be subject to change as well.

Will Movsar Evloev Finally Get His Title Shot?

The main event was apparentlly supposed to feature Alexander Volkanovski defending his featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez in a rematch of their UFC 290 encounter. That first fight wasn’t particularly close. Volkanovski dominated Rodriguez, winning by unanimous decision. The rematch made sense primarily because of Rodriguez’s Mexican heritage and the event’s location, but take away the Mexican venue and suddenly the matchmaking logic starts falling apart.

The talk of moving UFC 320 has reignited conversations about undefeated contender Movsar Evloev finally getting his deserved title opportunity. The Ingushetian fighter has quietly put together one of the most impressive resumes in the featherweight division. He has remained unbeaten through 18 professional fights. Volkanovski himself seemed open to facing Evloev after his recent victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314. That was before the UFC hinted at the Rodriguez rematch.

If UFC 320 does end up moving to the United States, it could provide the perfect excuse to scrap the Rodriguez rematch. This could give Evloev the shot he’s earned through consistent performances against tough competition.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Alexander Volkanovksi

Movsar Evloev

Noche UFC

UFC 320

Yair Rodriguez

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!