MMA News

Tag: UFC Abu Dhabi

  • ‘Brought Out The Retirement Home’ – MMA Fans React To Nick Diaz & Tony Ferguson’s Returns Being Announced For UFC Fight Night In Abu Dhabi

    ‘Brought Out The Retirement Home’ – MMA Fans React To Nick Diaz & Tony Ferguson’s Returns Being Announced For UFC Fight Night In Abu Dhabi

    Mixed martial arts enthusiasts had a variety of reactions in the aftermath of Nick Diaz and Tony Ferguson having their UFC returns announced.

    Both Diaz and Ferguson will be looking to return to winning ways at the upcoming UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi on August 3, but in different matchups.  

    The former, who is without a win in 13 years and has competed just twice since a title loss to Georges St-Pierre in 2013, will make his first appearance inside the Octagon since an unsuccessful comeback against Robbie Lawler in 2021.

    While that saw him square off with a fellow veteran, and do so in unimpressive fashion, Diaz’s latest comeback is set to see him throw down with ranked competition in Vicente Luque, who is less than a year removed from a five-round win over Rafael dos Anjos.

    “El Cucuy,” meanwhile, has been much more active in recent years, but equally as unsuccessful.

    Since the start of 2020, the former interim champion has lost seven straight fights, the most recent of which came opposite rising prospect Paddy Pimblett at UFC 296 last December. He’ll look to bounce back in the Middle East by adding to the woes of Michael Chiesa.

    MMA Fans Concerned As Diaz & Ferguson Gear Up For UFC Returns

    While fight announcements for Diaz and Ferguson would have formally been met with intrigue and excitement, that is seemingly no longer the case.

    Instead, plenty of fans expressed concern over the two 40-year-olds returning to the cage, especially given their opponents. A number of fans questioned why the promotion didn’t simply match them together.

    https://twitter.com/MannyP3166/status/1796012207500558810

  • Tony Ferguson Returns On August 3 To Try & Break UFC Losing Skid Against Michael Chiesa Up At Welterweight

    Tony Ferguson Returns On August 3 To Try & Break UFC Losing Skid Against Michael Chiesa Up At Welterweight

    UFC President Dana White took to social media to announce the stacked main card that is set for the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on August 3.

    Amongst four other fantastic matchups, the return of lightweight legend Tony Ferguson is locked in for what will be his first appearance of the year.

    Ferguson is currently tied for the longest losing streak in UFC history following his tied record for the longest winning streak at 155 pounds at 12.

    Several key details were mentioned by White during his announcement for this next matchup for “El Cucuy,” where he will be taking on Michael Chiesa.

    “Opening the main card is a fight between the legend, Tony Ferguson, moving up to 170 pounds in what could be his final fight to take on Michael Chiesa.”  

    The two major points to highlight in White’s announcement is first of all, that this contest will see Ferguson move to welterweight.

    The former interim lightweight champion has competed at 170 pounds in the past, having faced Nate Diaz at this weight on short notice two years ago and also won The Ultimate Fighter as a welterweight.

    Chiesa is also a former lightweight and TUF winner who made the jump up a weight class back in 2018 and has since fought seven times there.

    He is currently on a three-fight losing streak after winning his first four fights at 170 pounds in impressive fashion.

    Chiesa was last seen at UFC 291 in July of last year, where he was submitted by Kevin Holland in the opening round.

    Ferguson, on the other hand, went three rounds with Paddy Pimblett in December where he was unable to find his groove and show glimpses of the lightweight boogeyman that the fans fell in love with.

    The other key point is that White specifically says, “in what could be his final fight.”

    The UFC boss has suggested in the past that Ferguson should hang up the gloves meaning that Abu Dhabi could be one final ride for “El Cucuy”.

    August 3 will mark the promotion’s first event in Abu Dhabi this year.

  • Nick Diaz Set To Face Ranked Welterweight In Return At Abu Dhabi-Held UFC Fight Night

    UFC veteran Nick Diaz is set for his second attempt at making a successful comeback. 

    Diaz, who became the inaugural Strikeforce welterweight champion back in 2010 and went on to compete for UFC gold against both Carlos Condit and Georges St-Pierre, has entered the Octagon just once since 2015.

    After a drug test controversy following his bout with Anderson Silva, Diaz didn’t return until UFC 266 in 2021, where he did battle with a fellow vet in Robbie Lawler. The Stockton native was far from his best, ultimately choosing not to return to his feet after being dropped in round three.

    While that led many to call for Diaz’s retirement, he subsequently hinted at further bouts. And his latest comeback is now official.

    This week, UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to confirm the main card for the promotion’s return to Abu Dhabi on August 3. Among the five contests is a welterweight collision between Diaz (26-10, 2 NC) and the #14-ranked Vicente Luque (22-10-1).

    The UFC Fight Night at Etihad Arena will be headlined by a bantamweight showdown between former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen and the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov.

    Elsewhere on the lineup, the likes of Tony Ferguson, Deiveson Figueiredo, Marlon Vera, and Mackenzie Dern will all be in action.

    Diaz Targets First Win Since 2011 Against Luque

    When Diaz and Luque collide in a five-round co-main event this summer, both will be looking to bounce back from defeats.

    “The Silent Assassin” was in action more recently, slipping down the pecking order at 170 pounds courtesy of Joaquin Buckley at the UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City earlier this year. Prior to that, the Brazilian had returned from a brain injury scare by outpointing Rafael dos Anjos in a 2023 main event.

    His opponent, meanwhile, has been without the winning feeling for quite some time. Before a defeat to Silva that was later overturned to a no contest, Diaz had lost two straight title fights against the great St-Pierre and Condit following a decision victory over BJ Penn.

    That result against “The Prodigy” extended Diaz’s win streak at the time to 11, a run that also included triumphs over Frank Shamrock and Paul Daley. He’ll look to return to that winning form at the expense of Luque in Abu Dhabi on August 3.

    With this addition, the main card set to unfold at Etihad Arena is as follows:

    • Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (bantamweight main event)
    • Vicente Luque vs. Nick Diaz (welterweight co-main event)
    • Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (bantamweight)
    • Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez (strawweight)
    • Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa (welterweight)