Abu Dhabi, UAE – The Octagon returns to the UAE capital as UFC® Fight Night: Whittaker vs. De Ridder takes place at Etihad Arena, Yas Island, on Saturday, July 26. Held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), the event features a high-caliber lineup and continues the city’s growing role in the global MMA landscape.
Tickets are available now via etihadarena.ae and ticketmaster.ae.
Main Event – Middleweight
Robert Whittaker (27-8-0) vs. Reinier de Ridder (20-2-0)Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker returns to the Octagon aiming to reassert himself as a top contender. Across from him, submission specialist Reinier de Ridder enters with momentum, coming off a breakout performance in his UFC debut that saw him hand Bo Nickal his first professional loss.
Main Card
Petr Yan (16-5-0) vs. Marcus McGhee (10-1-0) – Bantamweight
Former champion Yan looks to bounce back against the heavy-handed McGhee, who enters riding strong momentum.
Bryce Mitchell (16-2-0) vs. Said Nurmagomedov (18-3-0) – Bantamweight
A stylistic clash between Mitchell’s pressure grappling and Nurmagomedov’s dynamic striking.
Shara Magomedov (13-0-0) vs. Marc-André Barriault (16-7-0, 1 NC) – Middleweight
Undefeated Dagestani striker Magomedov meets Canada’s proven finisher Barriault in a pivotal test.
Preliminary Card
Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov – Light Heavyweight
Amanda Ribas vs. Tabatha Ricci – Women’s Strawweight
Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana – Light Heavyweight
Asu Almabayev vs. José Johnson – Flyweight
Mohammad Yahya vs. Steven Nguyen – Featherweight
Davey Grant vs. Da’Mon Blackshear – Bantamweight
Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal – Welterweight
Martin Buday vs. Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida – Heavyweight
Note: The originally scheduled featherweight bout between Movsar Evloev and Aaron Pico has been cancelled due to injury and is expected to be rebooked later this year.
Tickets & VIP Packages
General admission and reserved seating tickets are available now via etihadarena.ae and ticketmaster.ae.
Fans looking for a premium experience can explore UFC VIP Packages via UFCVIP.com, which include prime seating, athlete meet-and-greets, all-inclusive hospitality, and exclusive access to the official weigh-ins. Packages are provided by On Location, UFC’s official VIP experience partner.
