The UFC will return to Abu Dhabi on Saturday, July 25, for its annual mid-summer Fight Night card at Etihad Arena on Yas Island.
The promotion confirmed the date and venue Monday in a joint announcement with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), with tickets set to go on sale soon through VisitAbuDhabi.ae.
UFC says the full lineup will be revealed in the weeks ahead, though several bouts have already trickled out through reporting in recent days.
UFC Abu Dhabi Main Event
Top-15 heavyweight Valter Walker is expected to headline the main card opposite Thomas Petersen, per Yahoo Sports. Walker enters on a four-fight UFC win streak, all by first-round heel hook, the longest such run in promotional history. The Brazilian last competed at UFC 321 in October, finishing Louie Sutherland in Abu Dhabi before withdrawing from a March booking with Marcin Tybura due to a leg injury sustained in that same Sutherland fight.
Petersen, a former LFA heavyweight champion, rebounded from a knockout loss to Vitor Petrino with a majority decision win over Guilherme Pat in his most recent appearance. The same report has Ismael Bonfim drawing Axel Sola in a lightweight bout, with additional heavyweight and light heavyweight matchups listed on Tapology that have not yet been officially announced.
Continuing An Abu Dhabi Run
The July date extends a partnership between the UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi that dates back to 2010 and was cemented during the Fight Island era of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emirate has hosted more than 20 UFC events since the relationship began, with two more on the books inside the last calendar year alone.
Last July’s Fight Night at the same venue saw Reinier de Ridder hand Robert Whittaker a split-decision loss in a middleweight headliner. In October, Etihad Arena hosted UFC 321, which ended in a no-contest after a double eye poke left Tom Aspinall requiring surgery on both eyes. Mackenzie Dern claimed the vacant women’s strawweight title in the co-main event of that same card.
The July 25 card is expected to broadcast in the United States on Paramount+, per Tapology’s event listing. Full ticket and travel package details will be posted to VisitAbuDhabi.ae when sales open.