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Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Abu Dhabi
Laying Out The Lineup For Saturday’s Return To Etihad Arena And ABC
By E. Spencer Kyte
Saturday afternoon, the Octagon returns to Etihad Arena and the action returns to ABC as the UFC brings a loaded fight card from the UAE to network television.
Headlined by a critical middleweight matchup between former champ Robert Whittaker and rising contender Reinier de Ridder and featuring several pivotal divisional battles scattered up and down the lineup, this weekend’s offering promises to be full of action and potential impact in a number of key weight classes.
Main Event: Robert Whittaker vs Reinier de Ridder
Just a couple weeks before the middleweight title goes up for grabs, Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder square off in this critical divisional pairing on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Whittaker makes his second consecutive start at Etihad Arena and third straight appearance in the MENA region, having bested Ikram Aliskerov in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, prior to his loss to Khamzat Chimaev last October at UFC 308. “The Reaper” had remained the top end measuring stick for all hopefuls in the division, having only lost to Israel Adesanya, current champ Dricus Du Plessis, and Chimaev, rebounding from each of those setbacks with quality wins over tough opponents.
De Ridder’s promotional debut against Gerald Meerschaert left some wondering why so many were pumped about the promotion bringing the Dutch veteran into the fold, but he’s shown why so far in 2025. In January, de Ridder dispatched Kevin Holland with swiftness, and then followed it up by bouncing Bo Nickal from the ranks of the unbeaten at the start of May to move to 20-2 overall.
The key question heading into this one is pretty clear and familiar: can de Ridder get by the man who has steadily guarded the gates to contention, or will Whittaker turn back yet another hopeful? It should be a fun stylistic clash between a pair of well-rounded talents to close out the show on Saturday evening on ABC.
Additional Main Card Matchups
Petr Yan vs Marcus McGhee
Petr Yan and Marcus McGhee share the Octagon in this fascinating bantamweight matchup that now lands as the co-main event of the evening.
The former champion Yan has won consecutive outings to silence any questions about his standing in the division following a three-fight slide to the last three men to hold the bantamweight title. He was his familiar, technical self in his twin 2024 victories, warming into his win over Song Yadong before sweeping the scorecards against Deiveson Figueiredo.
McGhee touches down in Abu Dhabi having won all four of his UFC starts to date and six straight overall to climb to No. 13 in the bantamweight rankings at the time of this writing. The MMA Lab product was a late arrival to the pro ranks, debuting in 2020, but quickly ascended to the UFC and has the chance to make some real noise in the 135-pound weight class this weekend.
Respectfully, all the advantages fall in Yan’s favor, which makes this a classic trap game for the Russian standout. McGhee comes into this one with little to lose and everything to gain, so it will be on Yan to keep him at bay he wants to continue his march towards another possible championship opportunity.
Bryce Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov
Bryce Mitchell tries his hand in the bantamweight division, landing opposite Said Nurmagomedov as he makes his first foray into the dangerous waters of the 135-pound weight class.
“Thug Nasty” worked his way into the Top 15 in the featherweight division by winning each of his first six appearances inside the Octagon. But alternating losses and wins over his last five outings, with each of his setbacks coming by way of stoppage, has prompted the Arkansas native to relocate to the bantamweight ranks.
Nurmagomedov has been a fixture in the division for the last eight years now, posting a 7-3 record though his first 10 UFC starts. Though he’s lost two of his last three, dropping decisions to Jonathan Martinez and Vinicius Oliveira is nothing to hang your head about, and his diverse offensive arsenal makes him a threat against anyone he faces.
Will Mitchell find success in his first bantamweight appearance, adding his name to the long list of standouts in the division or will Nurmagomedov show him that a change of scenery isn’t enough to change his fortunes?
Shara Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault
The first of two middleweight bouts on Saturday’s main card pits Shara Magomedov against Marc-Andre Barriault.
“Shara Bullet” returns to action for the first time since suffering the first loss of his career back in February against Michael “Venom” Page. The Russian fighter, who has a massive following in the region, earned wins in each of his first four UFC appearances, and will look to get back to that successful form here as he competes in Abu Dhabi for the fourth time in six fights.
Barriault earned a first-round stoppage win, a Performance of the Night bonus, and a new contract at UFC 315 in Montreal, where he leveled Bruno Silva with a nasty elbow along the fence. The French-Canadian veteran has been a steady hand since arriving in the promotion, going 6-8 with one no contest and standing as a tough out for everyone he’s faced.
This is a key moment for Magomedov, who looked very good in bouts where he was able to dictate the terms of engagement and work at his rhythm. Barriault is known for closing the distance and thriving in the clinch, so it will be interesting to see if the Russian Muay Thai stylist will be able to keep him at bay and get back to his winning ways in this one.
Nikita Krylov vs Bogdan Guskov
It’s a matchup of ranked light heavyweights here as Nikita Krylov and Bogdan Guskov share the Octagon on Saturday in Abu Dhabi.
Now 33 years old and more than seven years into his second stint on the UFC roster, Krylov arrives in Abu Dhabi looking to bounce back after getting stopped by Dominick Reyes last time out. The veteran earned three straight wins prior to his UFC 314 appearance, including a knockout of Alexander Gustafsson and a submission finish over Ryan Spann.
Guskov dropped his short-notice promotional debut to Volkan Oezdemir, but has since responded with three straight victories to climb into the Top 15 in the light heavyweight division. Last time out, he handled his business accordingly against late replacement Billy Elekana, pushing his record to 7-1 over his last eight starts.
Will the veteran Krylov get back in the win column or can Guskov garner a fourth straight win to keep moving forward in the 205-pound weight class?
Preliminary Card Pairings
Amanda Ribas vs Tabatha Ricci
Amanda Ribas and Tabatha Ricci square off in this all-Brazilian battle in the strawweight division.
Ribas has spent the bulk of her UFC career bouncing between divisions, but makes her second straight start in the 115-pound ranks after falling to Mackenzie Dern in a main event rematch to open the year. Coming off a loss to former title challenger Yan Xiaonan, Ricci looks to return to the form that produced good wins over Gillian Robertson, Tecia Pennington, and Angela Hill.
Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal
Welterweights at different stages of their UFC journeys cross paths here as Muslim Salikhov faces off with Carlos Leal.
Despite turning 41 last month, Salikhov clearly still has something left in the gas tank, entering his 13th UFC appearance on a two-fight winning streak and coming off a nasty finish of Song Kenan last year in Macau. Leal makes the walk to the Octagon for just the third time, looking to build off his first-round stoppage win over Alex Morono last time out.
Ibo Aslan vs Billy Elekana
Light heavyweights looking to stem the tide do battle here as Ibo Aslan and Billy Elekana clash at Etihad Arena.
Aslan blew through Paulo Renato Jr. on Dana White’s Contender Series and earned finishes in each of his first two UFC appearances before running into veteran Ion Cutelaba last time out in Seattle. As mentioned earlier, Elekana got a short-notice call-up to face Guskov in January, showing a little moxie before ultimately falling to the ranked fighter from Uzbekistan at UFC 311.
Asu Almabayev vs Jose Ochoa
Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa pair off here in a fascinating flyweight fixture.
Almabayev, who was originally scheduled to face Ramazan Temirov, looks to get things moving in the right direction against after having his 17-fight winning streak snapped last time out against Manel Kape. After a stellar showing in a losing effort against Lone’er Kavanagh last November, Ochoa picked up his first UFC victory in June, stopping Cody Durden 11 seconds into the second round.
Martin Buday vs Marcus Buchecha
Dana White’s Contender Series grad Martin Buday welcomes multiple-time Brazilian jiu jitsu world champion Marcus Buchecha to the Octagon for the first time this weekend.
Slovakia’s Buday has posted a 6-1 record under the UFC banner since earning a contract in the summer of 2021, and looks to earn a third straight win as he steps in with Buchecha on Saturday. The 35-year-old Brazilian is a 13-time world champion in the gi, a two-time world champion in no-gi, and has gone 5-1 to begin his MMA career, earning each of his wins inside the distance.
Mohammad Yahya vs Steven Nguyen
Featherweights in search of their first UFC triumphs clash here as Mohammad Yahya welcomes Steven Nguyen to his home country on Saturday.
The 31-year-old Yahya posted five straight wins to earn the opportunity to compete on the biggest stage in the sport, but has subsequently dropped consecutive outings at home in Abu Dhabi, most recently getting stopped by Kaue Fernandes last summer. A member of the DWCS Class of ’23, Nguyen landed on the wrong side of the cards in his first UFC appearance against Jarno Errens in a bout that earned the duo Fight of the Night honors.
Davey Grant vs Da’Mon Blackshear
Bantamweights Davey Grant and Da’Mon Blackshear open the show this weekend, pairing off in what should be an entertaining clash of veterans in the 135-pound ranks.
Heading towards his 40th birthday in December, Grant remains a dangerous assignment for anyone in the division, having won three of his last four, with each of his two most recent setbacks coming by way of debated split decision. Blackshear enters having won three straight since suffering back-to-back losses to Mario Bautista and Montel Jackson, including earning two wins in seven weeks earlier this year.
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