Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is making its return to Abu Dhabi on Sat., Aug. 3, 2024 on ABC and ESPN+ with a blockbuster “Fight Night” lineup topped by the bantamweight showdown between No. 2-ranked Cory Sandhagen (17-4) and No. 10-ranked Umar Nurmagomedov (17-0).
The winner could top a very short list of eligible 135-pound title contenders.
Here’s the current UFC Abu Dhabi main card:
135 lbs.: Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov
170 lbs.: Nick Diaz vs. Vicente Luque
135 lbs.: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Chito Vera
115 lbs.: Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez
170 lbs.: Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa
Diaz (26-10, 2 NC), who turns 41 the day before his Octagon return, has not competed since a technical knockout loss to Robbie Lawler at UFC 266 back in late 2021. His Luque bout will be contested across five rounds in the UFC Abu Dhabi co-main event.
Hopefully he wasn’t “backed into” the fight.
UFC CEO Dana White suggested Tony Ferguson, who moves up to fight another ex-lightweight in the form of Michael Chiesa, may be competing in his final UFC fight. “El Cucuy” has dropped seven straight, getting finished in four of those seven losses.
Expect more UFC Abu Dhabi fight card announcements in the coming days.