UFC Announces Return to Abu Dhabi

UFC's return to Abu Dhabi has been officially confirmed. On Monday, the organization announced its plans to head back to the UAE for a summer Fight Night event. UFC Abu Dhabi is scheduled for July 25th at the Etihad Arena.

While no official bouts have been announced yet, mmafighting.com reports that a lightweight showdown between Ismael Bonfim and Axel Sola is already in the works.

During UFC's last visit to Abu Dhabi in 2025, the main event featured former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker against Reinier de Ridder in a five-round clash.

After a hard-fought 25 minutes, De Ridder secured a decision victory. In the co-main event, Petr Yan earned a shot at reclaiming his UFC bantamweight title with a decision win over Marcus McGhee.