It’s time to touch gloves in the capital (again)…
UFC and MMA fans, there’s big news for you: UFC Fight Night is making an electrifying return to the capital for a second edition this summer, on Saturday, July 26 at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island. And now, we have details on the fight card which will be headlined by a middleweight bout between No.5-ranked Aussie Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder of the Netherlands.
Whittaker enters the octagon in Abu Dhabi with a 27-8-0 record and wins over names such as Yoel Romero, Jared Cannonier and Marvin Vettori. Dutchman de Ridder touches gloves on Yas with a 20-2-0 record, and a reputation as a fast-rising star on the UFC’s middleweight circuit.
Other confirmed fights for July 26 include Russian Nikita Krylov vs. Uzbek Bogdan Guskov in the light heavyweight class, Ramazan Temirov (19-3-0) taking on Almaty-based Asu Almabayev in flyweights, and Turkish Ibo Aslan who will meet Billy Elekana of the US in a light heavyweight bout that is expected to produce some serious fireworks.
Images: supplied, What’s On archive
The story so far
While UFC events have become a mainstay on the UAE’s sports and entertainment calendar with 20 events being held here since 2010, 2024 saw the first time Abu Dhabi hosted two official UFC events in the same year, with a simmering fight card at UFC Fight Night on August 3 being followed-up by UFC 308 on October 26, 2024. This year is expected to follow suit, with a second, larger event following the July 26 Fight Night, landing in the Etihad Arena presumably in October.
Last year’s UFC Fight Night saw a mouthwatering main event clash between bantamweight Russian Umar Nurmagomedov and Cory Sandhagen of the US, with the former picking up a victory after a high-quality, five-round contest that had some of the biggest names in the game in attendance including one of the greatest ever to step inside an octagon, Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov himself, cage side at the Etihad Arena.
We can’t wait for this one…
UFC Fight Night, July 26, Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, from Dhs345. etihadarena.ae
> Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
