The UFC returns to the United Arab Emirates with an impressive map at UFC Abu Dhabi.
In the main event of the map, former UFC Middleweight Champion Robert Whittaker will compete with Reinier de Ridder, himself a former middleweight and slightly heavyweight champion.
RDR will hope that a victory over the #5 -arranged middleweight will enable him to jump up the ranking and get closer to a title shot against Dricus du Plessis in the near future.
The rest of the map contains some big names, including the controversial Bryce Mitchell and a Russian former world champion.
Here is everything you need to know about UFC Abu Dhabi.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
What time does UFC Abu Dhabi start?
UFC Abu Dhabi takes place in Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, VAE, on July 26, 2025.
The event is expected to start with the Prelims at 9:00 AM (PT), 12:00 pm (et) and 5:00 PM (BST).
This is followed by the UFC Abu Dhabi head card, which is expected to start at 12:00 (PT), 3:00 PM (ET) and 8:00 pm (UK).
How to look and stream UFC Abu Dhabi?
UFC ABU DHABI will be a UFC at the ABC Fight Night event, which means that the show is shown live at ABC in the United States for viewers to enjoy.
It is expected that only the main map will be broadcast on ABC, with the prelims on ESPN+and on TNT sports in the United Kingdom.
UFC Abu Dhabi – Who fights?
Main map
- Middleweight: Robert Whittaker vs. Reinier de Ridder
- Featherweight: Movsar Evloev vs. Aaron Pico
- Bantam weight: Petr Yan vs. Marcus Mcghee
- Bantam weight: Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov
- Middleweight: Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-André Barriault
Prelims
- Light heavyweight: Nikita Krylov vs. Bogdan Guskov
- Flying weight: Asu Almabayev vs. Ramazan Temirov
- Light heavyweight: Ibo Aslan vs. Billy Elekana
Robert Whittaker has planned his 'fairytale -like end' while he unveils UFC Future
The fight with De Ridder will not be the last of Whittaker, but it will be one of the last attacks of his career if everything goes to plan.
Whittaker spoke with FOX Sports Australia and revealed that he still had four fights to earn a title shot before he retired, ideally as champion, in the fifth remaining fight of his career.
Whittaker said: “Four fighting. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see – yes – four. I want four more. That's me.
“I see that the stepping stones had to do to do what I want to do. Four battles put me in that title shot, brings me into a position, you know, you end up at the top – to have that fairy tale.
“So size, I work towards it.”
He has a difficult cohort of hunters to deal with in the last years of his career, but Whittaker has the confidence that he can withdraw a champion in five fights.