The UFC will continue to make Abu Dhabi a regular destination, with the promotion’s most recently announced event in the UAE capital being UFC 321 on October 25, 2025.
Promotion officials announced the event and date on Tuesday. It will be their second trip to Abu Dhabi this year, with a Fight Night card taking place at the same venue, the Etihad Arena, later this month.
That card, UFC on ABC 9 on July 26, is headlined by Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder. When it comes to what is expected to be a Pay-Per-View event in October, however, a title fight or two is certain. Names like Islam Makhachev and Magomed Ankalaev immediately spring to mind, though the promotion did not announce any match-ups on Tuesday.
Abu Dhabi became a regular stop for the UFC during the coronavirus pandemic, with Yas Island being rebranded “Fight Island” and offering a workable quarantine zone that allowed the promotion to continue running events when most of the world remained shut down (that, combined with the UFC Apex, made the UFC essentially the only game in town for a time).
The UFC has held 20 events in Abu Dhabi to date, dating back to 2010, though most came in the COVID era. It will be 22 by the end of the year, counting July’s event and UFC 321.
