The UFC has announced a Fight Night event at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Aug. 3, marking its first non-pay-per-view show in the UAE since the pandemic.
Alright, let’s dive in.
So, the UFC’s making a comeback to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. That’s happening on Aug. 3, folks. It’s a Fight Night event, they announced it on Wednesday.
Now, this isn’t your regular pay-per-view gig. It’s the first of its kind in the UAE since the pandemic hit. Remember those days? Abu Dhabi was the only place outside of Las Vegas where UFC cards were held.
They had a pretty tight schedule back then. We’re talking eight Fight Nights and three numbered shows in just five months.
But here’s the kicker: they haven’t spilled the beans on the main event yet.
The last time UFC hit Abu Dhabi, Islam Makhachev was the star of the show. He was the lightweight champ who knocked out Alexander Volkanovski, the then-featherweight titleholder. That was in UFC 294‘s main event. Took him just over three minutes.
Khamzat Chimaev was also in the spotlight. He defeated Kamaru Usman, who was a short-notice replacement, in the co-main event.
Now, apart from the upcoming Miami pay-per-view this weekend and the regular Las Vegas cards, UFC’s got a packed schedule. They’re set to hold events in Atlantic City, Rio de Janeiro, St. Louis, Newark, and Riyadh. That’s all happening between March and June 2024.