The Red Hot Chili Peppers Are Headed To Abu Dhabi For UFC 242

Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

UFC 242 is already set to be a huge event for the UFC, featuring the return of Khabib Nurmagomedov for the first time since defending his lightweight championship against Conor McGregor. He’ll face Dustin Poirier in Abu Dhabi, the capitol of the United Arab Emirates, marking the third time the UFC has traveled to the Middle East. It won’t be the last, though … this is the start of a deal that will see title fights in Abu Dhabi for the next five years.

The UAE is clearly all in on the UFC, and for UFC 242 they’re debuting Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which will see the city transform into a fight mecca. A press release from the Department of Culture lists off “an expansive series of lifestyle, retail and culinary promotions,” but the big thing we noticed from the start is the inclusion of a concert from the Red Hot Chili Peppers on September 5th.

The only question we have: did Abu Dhabi get this suggestion from Dana White? The UFC president has long been teased for his early 2000s music preferences, from Stemm’s Face the Pain still being the quasi-official theme song of the UFC to Godsmack being the band of 2019’s International Fight Week. While the Chili Peppers are more relevant these days than most, it’s still a choice straight out of Dana White’s 30 disc CD player.

It probably doesn’t hurt that lead singer Anthony Kiedis is a huge UFC fan.

Here’s some other highlights touted by the official press release for Abu Dhabi Showdown week:

• -Dedicated beach and pool parties by day, and headline concerts and high-energy after-parties by night.
• 25-plus restaurants, bars and cafes across the UAE capital participating in a city-wide ‘Knockout Burgers’ campaign.
• ‘Knockout Deals’ will align with the traditional back-to-school period and offer shoppers discounts ranging from 25% upwards.
• The Abu Dhabi Sports and Fitness Expo will feature leading international exhibitors, competitions, fitness programmes, activations, and international conferences

So if you happen to be one of the lucky folks flying out to Abu Dhabi to experience UFC 242, it sounds like there’ll be more than enough to do while waiting for Nurmagomedov vs. Poirier to kick off at the end of the week.

You can read the full press release for Abu Dhabi Showdown Week here.