Who Will Headline The UFC Event In The Las Vegas Sphere?

Conor McGregor has been installed as the favourite by betting sites to be involved in the headline fight for the UFC event in The Las Vegas Sphere.

Dana White has claimed to have booked the 18,600-seater venue for September 14, in order to stage a UFC card for Mexican Independence Day.

The magnitude of the bill is of the highest order which narrows down the calibre of fighters White could call upon for the momentous occasion.

McGregor has been out the octagon since July 2021, but is no doubt one of the biggest draws in the UFC, and he knows how to sell a fight.

Active stars such as Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya may be a more pragmatic option for the UFC’s president.

As such, MMA betting sites have released odds on a list of possible candidates to headline the card. Let’s delve deeper.

The Sphere Could See Return Of The Mac

There is no doubt that McGregor has the popularity and notoriety to not only sell-out The Sphere, but also to record a vast number of pay-per-view sales.

However, his absence from combat could be a stumbling block, as Dana White will want a credible show that is talked about for many years to come.

Nevertheless, McGregor is the Evens favourite to top the bill in Las Vegas, but a list of potential opponents has not been drawn up at this stage.

After successive losses to Dustin Poirier in 2021, the 35-year-old is way off the pace of the lightweight division's summit and a fight with a big personality may be what’s required.

Speaking of lightweights, Paddy Pimblett could be set to headline a huge show of his own in the near future. 

The Liverpudlian has always expressed his aspiration of fighting at Anfield, the home of his beloved Liverpool football club, however, this looks most likely to occur in 2025.

With the scale of events White has scheduled for the back end of 2024, it is unlikely that The Baddy gets his wish before the year closes, which is backed by the 8/1 odds.

Pimblett may have to wait his turn to headline an event of such magnitude, but it may be a final swan song for McGregor if he gets the nod for the September 14 event.

Jones And Adesanya Lay In Wait

Two titans of the sport Dana White could get the call up are Jon Jones and Israel Adesanya.

The former is the current heavyweight champion and a potential fight with Tom Aspinall could be what's next for Bones.

As a result, Jones is the second favourite on betting apps at 7/2 to receive the phone call to headline the show in Las Vegas.

After Adesanya lost his most recent fight to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, he declared that he would be taking a break from the sport for a little while.

Regardless of this admission, the middleweight will no doubt be chomping at the bit to get back in the winner’s circle and he is a 9/2 shot to be named in the headline bout.

Lesnar Or Edwards Could Reach Outside Audience

Brock Lesnar (7/1) has not fought in the UFC since 2016, but his compelling career as a showman in the WWE definitely provides aid to his chances of leading this bill.

Lesnar may be 46-years-old, but he knows how to entertain the crowd and he could be what White is looking for to appeal to a mass market.

Additionally, Lesnar has now been frozen out of the WWE after his involvement in the scandal surrounding Vince McMahon, meaning he may be available for a return to the octagon.

On the other hand, Leon Edwards (10/1) offers the possibility of attracting a UK audience.

Rocky is more than capable of delivering on the big stage, as we have seen plenty of times with wins over Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington most notably.

The Brit is at the peak of his powers in the middleweight division and a clash between the UK and USA may arise.

Grasso, Moreno Or O'Malley Are Longshots To Headline

Alexa Grasso is top of the women’s pound-for-pound list. Tying that in with the fact the card is booked in for Mexican Independence weekend, her odds of 16/1 appear decent value.

The UFC’s first Mexican women’s champion headlined a show at the T-Mobile Arena for the Mexican Independence show last year, attracting an attendance of 18,766 – which would be enough to sell out The Sphere in September.

Another Mexico native who could headline the bill is Brandon Moreno, but his odds of 20/1 suggest he will miss out on this occasion.

Sean O’Malley is the props up the market at odds of 33/1. Sugar is scheduled to fight on March 10 at UFC 299 and if he is victorious in emphatic fashion, his odds could shorten drastically.

The American is one of the brightest prospects on White’s roster and his personality is infectious, but he may be one of the unlucky ones to just miss out on the card despite expressive his eagerness to fight in The Sphere.