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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Abu Dhabi
Laying Out The Lineup For The UFC’s Summer Return To Etihad Arena
By E. Spencer Kyte, on X: @SpencerKyte
After Abu Dhabi became one of the hubs for UFC events during the COVID-19 pandemic, the promotion has continued to make annual trips to Etihad Arena with a loaded pay-per-view card each October.
But this weekend, the organization returns for a summer spectacular headlined by a riveting bantamweight pairing that could very well decide the next No. 1 contender in the talent-rich 135-pound weight class.
Here’s a closer look at what’s on tap on Saturday.
Main Event: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
Originally slated to face off one year ago, almost to the day, bantamweight standouts Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov will finally share the Octagon this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Sandhagen enters on a three-fight winning streak, most recently out-wrestling Rob Font on the night he was initially scheduled to face Nurmagomedov last summer. The 32-year-old has made changes to his training camp setup, working with Trevor Wittman in the striking realm, so it will be interesting to see what kind of adjustments and new wrinkles we see from the perennial contender now that he’s working with man who helped guide both Rose Namajunas and Kamaru Usman to UFC gold.
Unbeaten in 17 professional appearances, Nurmagomedov has been as good as anticipated through his first five UFC appearances, while also leaving a little to be desired, as injuries have slowed his ascent. He ended a 13-month hiatus in March with a unanimous decision win over Bekzat Almakhan in a fight that began with him getting clipped, creating the first fissures of doubt about his potential to rise to the top of the 135-pound weight class.
This is a crucial matchup for Sandhagen, who is looking to get to a second championship opportunity, but an important pairing for Nurmagomedov, as well, as he takes his first steps into the contender pool on Saturday. With champ Sean O’Malley defending his title against Merab Dvalishvili later this year, the winner of this one could find themselves in a position to challenge the winner of that impending matchup in the not too distant future.
Additional Main Card Fights
Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk
Intriguing Russian middleweight Shara Magomedov competes in the co-main event against Poland’s Michal Oleksiejczuk.
“Shara Bullet” has earned two wins in as many starts since joining the UFC roster, following his debut win over Bruno Silva with a third-round stoppage win over Antonio Trocoli back in June in Saudi Arabia. Now 13-0 overall, the highly thought of 30-year-old will look to maintain his form in his toughest test to date this weekend.
Though Oleksiejczuk enters having suffered back-to-back first-round submission losses, he shouldn’t have to worry about getting taken down here, and that makes him a dangerous dance partner for Magomedov. The 29-year-old Pole is a slick southpaw, possessing both power in his hands and a body-heavy approach on the feet, having earned six of his seven UFC victories by stoppage due to strikes.
Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
In the bantamweight division, recent title challenger Marlon Vera returns to face off with ex-flyweight ruler Deiveson Figueiredo.
“Chito” challenged O’Malley for the strap earlier this year, landing on the wrong side of a unanimous decision verdict at UFC 299. He’s won five of his last seven overall and is a notoriously tough out, having never been finished in his career.
Figueiredo has been a dominant figure through his first two starts in the 135-pound weight class, following up his debut win over Rob Font in Austin last December with a submission finish of Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300 in April. The Brazilian has leaned on his wrestling and grappling much more since relocating, indicating that he’s taking a more tactical, thoughtful approach to things.
Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
TUF 13 winner Tony Ferguson and TUF Live winner Michael Chiesa finally share the Octagon more than eight years after they were first scheduled to compete against one another.
Now 40 years old, Ferguson is a man who once stood as the 1B to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s 1A in the lightweight division for a number of years, but after posting a dozen consecutive victories between October 2013 and June 2019, “El Cucuy” touches down in Abu Dhabi on a seven-fight slide, having most recently dropped a unanimous decision to Paddy Pimblett last December at UFC 296.
Between injuries and tough assignments, Chiesa has also fallen on hard times as of late, entering Saturday’s contest on a three-fight skid and having competed just once since November 2021. The Spokane, Washington native had a solid start to his welterweight tenure, winning four straight, and will look to get things turned around when he steps in with Ferguson here.
These two were once penciled in for the main event of the UFC’s first event in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but unfortunately, Chiesa was forced out due to an injury and their paths never crossed again, until now. This should be a competitive fight between two promotional stalwarts that have carved out more than a decade each fighting at the highest level in the sport, with those achievements alone being more than enough for them to garner admiration and appreciation from the MMA audience.
Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez
Mackenzie Dern and Loopy Godinez clash in a battle of Top 15 strawweights looking to get back into the win column on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Stationed at No. 7 in the rankings, Dern, a former ADCC Submission Fighting world champion, enters the weekend looking to snap a two-fight losing streak and bust out of an extended funk that has seen her go 2-4 over her last six outings. A standout grappler with a willingness to throw heavy hands, the 31-year-old is at her best when closing the distance, dragging opponents to the canvas, and making them deal with her elite submission game.
Godinez, who is positioned three spots back of Dern at No. 10 in the rankings, had her four-fight winning streak snapped earlier this year by new No. 1 contender Virna Jandiroba. While not nearly as technical and submission-focused in the grappling realm as her opponent, the Mexican-Canadian is an absolute powerhouse with developing hands and should show continued improvements following more time training alongside the crew at the Lobo Gym in Guadalajara.
Joel Álvarez vs. Elves Brener
Joel Alvarez and Elves Brener meet in what should be an all-action lightweight contest for as long as it lasts.
The 31-year-old Spaniard Alvarez had a moment where he was ranked in the Top 15 earlier in his career, but has largely spent the last couple years living comfortably in the Second 15. Brandishing a 5-2 mark inside the Octagon, he’s currently a bit of a tweener, garnering favorable results against those positioned behind him in the rankings, while struggling against those that reside in front of him.
Brener had an outstanding rookie campaign in 2023, following up his debut split decision win over Zubaira Tukhugov with an incredible come-from-behind effort against Guram Kutateladze before mauling fellow Brazilian Kaynan Kruschewsky to wrap up a 3-0 record. His run of success was halted earlier this year, however, as he landed on the wrong side of the results against divisional dark horse Myktybek Orolbai.
Preliminary Card Pairings
Alonzo Menifield vs. Azamat Murzakanov
Light heavyweights close the preliminary card slate as Alonzo Menifield faces off with Azamat Murzakanov.
A member of the Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS) Class of ’18, Menifield had his five-fight unbeaten streak snapped in sudden fashion earlier this year by surging New Zealander Carlos Ulberg. The 35-year-old Murzakanov is 3-0 in the UFC and unbeaten in 13 pro fights, but will be looking to shake off the rust here after last having competed in April 2023 in Kansas City where he edged out Dustin Jacoby on the scorecards.
Mohammad Yahya vs. Kaue Fernandes
Mohammad Yahya and Kaue Fernandes share the Octagon on Saturday in a meeting of lightweight sophomores looking to register their first UFC victory.
Yahya made his promotional debut last October at UFC 294, dropping a unanimous decision to Trevor Peek, while Fernandes landed on the unhappy side of a split decision verdict a month later in his matchup with Marc Diakiese. One of these men will leave Etihad Arena having earned their first UFC win, and the process of finding out who that will be should be fun to watch.
Shamil Gaziev vs. Don’Tale Mayes
Heavyweight DWCS alums Shamil Gaziev and Don’Tale Mayes face off against one another this weekend in Abu Dhabi.
Gaziev dominated Martin Buday in his promotional debut, but struggled when elevated into a main event assignment opposite Jairzinho Rozenstruik earlier this year, retiring in the corner following the close of the fourth round. Mayes earned a victory over Caio Machado earlier this year to get back into the win column, but has struggled with consistency throughout his UFC career, entering with a 4-4 record with one no contest in nine starts.
Jordan Vucenic vs. Guram Kutateladze
Cage Warriors standout Jordan Vucenic steps up a division as a short-notice fill-in against Guram Kutateladze in an intriguing lightweight fixture.
The 28-year-old Brit has won four straight by submission and hustles right back into the cage after posting a first-round finish on July 20 in London, finally touching down on the biggest stage in the sport. Since edging out Mateusz Gamrot in their shared UFC debuts in the early goings on Fight Island, Kutateladze has dropped consecutive outings inside the Octagon, falling by split decision to Damir Ismagulov before getting stopped by Brener last July.
Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes
Viktoriia Dudakova looks to maintain her unbeaten record as she steps in with American Sam Hughes on Saturday’s prelims.
The 25-year-old Russian is perfect in eight professional starts and 14 consecutive bouts overall dating back to her amateur career, most recently having bested Jinh Yu Frey on the scorecards in a bout where she missed the strawweight limit on the scales. The 32-year-old Hughes has shown tremendous improvements since relocating to Dallas and connecting with the Fortis MMA crew, and looks to bounce back from a loss to Yazmin Jauregui here.
Jai Herbert vs. Rolando Bedoya
Jai Herbert and Rolando Bedoya meet in what should be an exciting lightweight contest early in the night at Etihad Arena.
The 36-year-old Herbert has struggled to replicate the success he had under the Cage Warriors banner since landing in the UFC, managing just a 2-4-1 record over seven starts, while Bedoya has gone 0-2 in a pair of entertaining decision losses. Expect these two to keep things standing and look to put the other down from the opening second on Saturday.
Sedriques Dumas vs. Denis Tiuliulin
Middleweights open the show as Sedriques Dumas takes on Denis Tiuliulin in the curtain-jerker.
A member of the DWCS Class of ’22, Dumas had his tidy two-fight winning streak halted last time out in Atlantic City in a fight with Nursulton Ruziboev that featured Dumas getting poked in the eye multiple times, including just prior to the finishing sequence. The 36-year-old Tiuliulin has gone 1-4 through his first five UFC appearances, with each of those contests ending inside the distance.
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