Noche UFC on ESPN+: How to watch Lopes vs. Silva live from San Antonio

How to watch Noche UFC: Lopes vs. Silva on ESPN+

Kelvin Gastelum showed up more than five pounds over the limit at weigh-ins, and the middleweight veteran still kept his fight with Dustin Stoltzfus. That twist adds extra edge to an already lively card headlined by Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva in San Antonio.

The event is set for the Frost Bank Center in Texas, and the broadcast home is ESPN+. If you’re in the United States, both the prelims and the main card stream there. No cable channel, no pay-per-view add-on—just your ESPN+ subscription. Replays and full-fight archives typically land shortly after the live broadcast, so if you miss the bell, you can catch up on demand.

Start times can shift from market to market and with late card changes. The easiest move: open the ESPN app or website on fight day and check the event page for the precise prelim and main card windows. San Antonio is Central Time, so if you’re tracking from the East or West Coast, make sure your device clock does the math.

Devices are straightforward. ESPN+ runs on most smart TVs and streaming sticks (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV), game consoles, mobile phones, tablets, and desktop browsers. If you want to watch on your big screen, install the ESPN app, log in with your ESPN+ account, and select the event tile. Casting works too if your TV supports it.

Traveling or watching with spotty Wi‑Fi? Download the ESPN app updates before the fights, switch off background streams on your network, and keep a mobile-data fallback handy. If you’re outside the U.S., rights vary by country—check your local sports broadcaster or the UFC’s regional streaming partner. In markets without a local deal, UFC Fight Pass may carry portions of the card.

Because this is branded “Noche UFC,” expect the promotion to lean into Mexican Independence Day weekend energy—music, visuals, and a crowd that feeds off pressure moments. San Antonio knows how to make noise for scrambles and slugfests, and that changes how fighters manage pace.

Fight card at a glance and the storylines

Main event — Featherweight: Diego Lopes vs. Jean Silva. This matchup screams chaos in all the best ways. Lopes is comfortable attacking off the break and hunting submissions if the fight hits the floor. Silva brings power and counters that can flip a round in ten seconds. If this gets past the first, watch how each man handles body work and leg kicks—those investments tend to decide close featherweight fights late.

Co-features to watch:

• Lightweight: Rafa Garcia vs. Jared Gordon — Garcia entered as the underdog at +145 against Gordon’s -175. Garcia’s durability and clinch pressure vs. Gordon’s cleaner straight shots make this a tempo fight. If Garcia pins Gordon to the fence and chews time, he can muddy the judges’ read. If Gordon keeps it center-cage with jabs and angles, he pockets rounds.
• Middleweight: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Dustin Stoltzfus — Gastelum missed weight by over five pounds, a rare slip for a veteran with big-stage mileage. The bout was kept on the schedule, likely as a catchweight with a fine going to Stoltzfus. On the feet, Gastelum’s southpaw one-two remains his money entry. Stoltzfus has to mix takedown looks with kicks to slow that burst. The question: does the weight miss mean extra pop for Gastelum or compromised cardio if this goes deep?

Prelim notes — There’s value up and down the undercard for fans who like style clashes:

• Bantamweight: Santiago Luna vs. Quang Le — Expect quick entries and scrambling—bantamweights don’t waste many seconds. Whoever wins the pocket exchanges will likely control octagon real estate.
• Lightweight: Alexander Hernandez vs. Diego Ferreira — Two veterans with very different rhythms. Hernandez is explosive early; Ferreira cooks opponents with pressure and body work if he finds a read. First-round momentum matters here.
• Women’s bantamweight: Montserrat Rendon vs. Alice Pereira — Range management and cage cuts will tell the story. The fighter who claims the center will have cleaner optics for the judges.
• Welterweight: Rodrigo Sezinando vs. Daniil Donchenko — Long-range kicks vs. forward march. Watch the calf kicks; they may decide who can plant and throw late.
• Flyweight: Alessandro Costa vs. Alden Coria — Flyweights bring pace. Scramble awareness and takedown chains could swing this one two or three times in a round.
• Middleweight: Zachary Reese vs. Sedriques Dumas — Power matchup. Feints and body shots are the safest way to open the head without eating a counter.

Why Lopes–Silva matters: Featherweight is crowded with wrestle-boxers and rangy kickers. A definitive finish here can crash the top-15 conversation and set up a name fight before year’s end. If it turns tactical, watch for adjustments at the corners—small shifts, like slipping outside the jab or changing the level on entries, can swing rounds 10-9 either way.

The San Antonio factor: Texas crowds reward aggression. Fighters know it, and they often chase momentum earlier than usual. That can mean big finishes, but it also punishes sloppy gas management. Corners who manage pace—calling for resets, clinches at the right time—steal minutes that win fights.

Betting and pacing tips: Lines move fast on fight day once weigh-ins finalize. If you’re playing the numbers, shop for the best price and remember that underdogs with grappling chains often steal minutes in the clinch. For viewing, settle in early. Prelims tend to stack sneaky bangers, and momentum from those fights can bleed into the main card.

Final viewing checklist for fight night:

• Confirm prelim and main card times on the ESPN event page an hour before the first bout.
• Update your ESPN app and test your login on the device you’ll use.
• Have a backup device ready in case your TV app glitches.
• If you’re on public Wi‑Fi, switch to a private network or mobile hotspot for a cleaner stream.
• Turn on notifications for your preferred combat sports alert source so you don’t miss late bout order changes.

Noche UFC’s second act in mid-September fits the UFC’s broader push into the Southwest and its Spanish-speaking fan base. San Antonio gets the noise, the UFC gets a market that shows up, and fans get a card with real stakes and some sharp style clashes. However you watch, make sure your stream is ready before the Octagon door shuts.