Once again, the Etihad Arena returns for another UFC event filled with organised violence.
While the same city will still prepare for a PPV in October, UAE fans can look forward to an exciting fight night.
Robert Whittaker headlines the card alongside Reinier de Ridder in a high-stakes Middleweight matchup.
But, with the main event being the whole focus, here are five other bouts you should pay attention to before the action commences.
Petr Yan vs Marcus McGhee
Originally, Movsar Evloev vs Aaron Pico was set as the co-main event, but due to the cancellation of the fight, this Bantamweight battle has been promoted.
Yan last fought at UFC Macau, defeating Deiveson Figueiredo by unanimous decision, marking the beginning of his win streak.
The former UFC Bantamweight Champion suffered a severe downfall after losing four out of five bouts at one stage, but the Russian’s redemption arc is calling for title contention.
With noticeable wins over Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo and Urijah Faber, there is no doubt that ‘No Mercy’ will be causing problems in Abu Dhabi.
McGhee is currently on a six-fight winning streak while only having four appearances in the UFC.
‘The Maniac has stopped nine of his 10 conquered opponents, with eight ending by KO/TKO, as he hopes to become the first man to finish Yan.
The #13 contender put himself in prime position after defeating Jonathan Martinez by unanimous decision at UFC 309.
With a great chance to boost up the 135-pound rankings, the Detroit-born fighter will be wanting to succeed on his quest to UFC gold.
Sharaputdin Magomedov vs Marc-Andre Barriault
An intriguing Middleweight fight that sees an eye-catching prospect try to redeem himself against a Canadian fan favourite.
Magomedov lost his perfect MMA record after a unanimous decision defeat to Michael ‘Venom’ Page at UFC Saudi Arabia.
Shara ‘Bullet’ is extremely well-known for his incredible kickboxing, which is why he has earned 12 knockouts in 15 wins.
The Makhachkala-born fighter became a ranked 185-pound competitor when he earned a terrific double spinning backfist KO against Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308.
While the Russian is in an unfamiliar position, he hopes to bounce back with another showstopping victory.
Barriault was on the verge of possibly being cut from the organisation, until he knocked out Bruno Silva at UFC 315.
‘Powerbar’ rarely goes the distance in his bouts, winning 11 of his 17 successful fights by KO/TKO.
The Quebec resident came close to the Middleweight rankings but lost by split decision to #14 contender Chris Curtis at UFC 297.
After just snapping his three-fight losing streak, the Canadian will be a heavy underdog heading into this fight, a reason why a win will feel so much sweeter at the Etihad Arena.
Nikita Krylov vs Bogdan Guskov
A Light Heavyweight bout which will very likely not go the distance, whether it is by knockout or submission.
After two years away from the Octagon, Krylov returned to lose his three-fight win streak with a first-round knockout defeat to Dominick Reyes at UFC 314.
‘The Miner’ became a promising contender after earning victories over Alexander Gustafsson, Volkan Oezdemir and Ryan Spann.
The Ukraine-born mixed martial artist has secured 12 KO/TKO victories and 16 submissions out of 30 MMA triumphs.
The #10 contender will hope to return to the win column and maintain his place in the 205-pound rankings.
Guskov extended his win streak to three after submitting Billy Elekana in the second round at UFC 311.
Despite his defeat in his UFC debut, the Uzbekistan fighter has shown potential talent in the Light Heavyweight division.
‘Czarevitch’ holds a 100% finish rate in his career with 14 knockouts and three submissions.
The #13 contender has an excellent opportunity to make his way into the top 10, hoping to continue his dominance.
Bryce Mitchell vs Said Nurmagomedov
A battle for redemption at the Etihad Arena as the result looks pretty unpredictable.
Disaster struck in Mitchell’s last fight after a dominant second-round submission loss to Jean Silva at UFC 314.
Despite remaining as a contender in the Featherweight division, ‘Thug Nasty’ has challenged himself to a lower weight class.
Even though the Arkansas fighter has plenty of decision wins in the UFC, nine of his 17 victories in MMA have ended by submission.
If Mitchell is victorious at UFC Abu Dhabi, he could become a ranked fighter at 135 pounds.
Nurmagomedov came close to the Bantamweight rankings, but lost his chance after a decision defeat to Vinicius Oliveira at UFC Saudi Arabia.
The Russian has yet to have a big name in his resume, despite seven wins in the UFC.
The Dagestan mixed martial artist is yet to be stopped, holding six KO/TKO wins and four submissions.
While not related to Khabib or Umar, Nurmagomedov is still aiming to make a bigger name for himself and could achieve it on Saturday.
Muslim Salikhov vs Carlos Leal
An unknown Welterweight war which deserves so much more attention between two experienced fighters.
Salikhov earned one of the most impressive knockouts of 2024, stopping Song Kenan with a wheel kick at UFC Macau.
Since the beginning of his UFC career in November 2017, the Russian has contested against veterans of the organisation.
The ‘King of Kung Fu’ has earned 14 KO/TKO victories from 21 career wins as he’s nothing but impressive on the feet.
Another win on his UFC record could book him a chance at the Welterweight rankings, boosting his win streak to three.
Leal claimed his first UFC win in his last bout, making easy work of Alex Morono at UFC 313.
‘The Lion’ made his presence known in PFL, especially after earning knockouts against David Zawada and Dilano Taylor.
Half of the Brazilian’s triumphs have ended by KO/TKO as he likes to keep his fights standing up.
After already taking out a veteran, Leal wants to do it again in his mission to enter the Welterweight rankings.