The UFC returns to Dana White’s new favourite fight capital, Abu Dhabi, on August 3, 2024, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. And the first ever Emirati fighter to compete in the UFC, Mohammad Yahya, will be returning to the octagon to face Brazilian, Kaue Fernandes.
Tickets available here.
The UFC is unequivocally the toughest league of mixed martial arts on the planet. People with undefeated records make the jump to the UFC, and suddenly, their invincibility shatters. Such was the case of Mohammad Yahya who, when making his UFC debut late last autumn on home turf in the UAE, was carrying an entire nation on his shoulders as he stepped into the cage.
Yes, he came up short, losing via split decision, but that is nothing to be ashamed about. As Yahya mentioned in our interview last fall, “It was impossible to even compete here (The UAE), let alone find a gym.” For someone who didn’t have combat facilities available until he was much older, he put on an ambitious effort against the American, Trevor Peek. Now, with MMA rapidly growing in the region, and famed UFC fighters making the move out to the UAE permanently, one can only imagine that his training and training partners will improve drastically.
Yahya’s current record is 12-4, and will now be taking on a Brazilian in Fernandes, the nation notorious for housing some of the most decorated, fearsome fighters to ever live. Fernandes is also making his sophomore UFC appearance, coming up short in his debut, so this is undoubtedly a make-it-or-break-it for both fighters clutching for UFC glory.
The night will be headlined by a pivotal clash in the bantamweight division as American Cory Sandhagen takes on undefeated Russian Umar Nurmagomedov. Both fighters will be familiar to the UAE crowd, having previously fought in Abu Dhabi.
