Abu Dhabi Showdown Week
One of the biggest weeks on the MMA calendar is almost upon us as Abu Dhabi Showdown Week 2023 is set to take place next week in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
UFC 294 will take place on Saturday, October 21, live from the Etihad Arena and will feature superstars Islam Makhachev, Alex Volkanovski, Khamzat Chimaev, Kamaru Usman, and many others.
On Tuesday, October 17, UAE Warriors will kick off the week with a jam-packed UAE Warriors 45 fight card featuring the brightest prospects from across the globe. The event will take place at the Mubadala Dome within Al Jazira Club and will stage fighters of 16 different nationalities.
The main event features a classic grappler vs. striker match-up, as Team Nurmagomedov’s rising, undefeated star Amru Magomedov (6-0) faces Dubai-based Uzbek Jakhongir Jumaev (10-3) for the vacant UAE Warriors lightweight title.
A pair of UFC veterans will clash in the co-main event as Russia’s Timur Valiev (18-3), coming straight out of TUF 31 as part of Team Chandler, meets Brazil’s Raulian Paiva (21-5). Fans should expect a cracker as both fighters hold ‘Fight of the Night’ honours within the UFC.
Elsewhere on the card, Palestinian ‘Prince’ Rany Saadeh (12-4) goes against the Philippines’ Genil Francisco (13-7), champ-champ Ali AlQaisi (15-6) returns to action in a non-title bout against Itay’s Walter Cogliandro (13-4-1), and Japanese stars Hikaru Yoshino (12-3) and Yamato Fujita (10-4) take on Renat Khavalov (7-0) and Sanzhar Adilov (11-1), respectively.
UAE Warriors 45 will be streamed live around the world on UFC FIGHT PASS and on ABU DHABI FIGHT in the UAE.
UAE Warriors 45 Fight Card
Oct 17, Al Jazira Club
Main Event
Vacant Lightweight Title
Amru Magomedov (6-0) vs. Jakhongir Jumaev (10-3)
Co-Main Event
Bantamweight
Timur Valiev (18-3) vs. Raulian Paiva (21-5)
Bantamweight
Rany Saadeh (12-4) vs. Genil Franciso (13-7)
Catchweight 150 lbs
Ali AlQaisi (15-6) vs. Walter Cogliandro (13-4)
Bantamweight
Renat Khavalov (7-0) vs. Hikaru Yoshino (12-3)
Flyweight
Nawras Abzakh (11-4) vs. Victor Nunes (9-6)
Flyweight
Sanzhar Adilov (11-1) vs. Yamato Fujita (10-4)
Lightweight
Abdullo Khodzhaev (4-0) vs. Petru Buzdugen (5-0)
Catchweight 139 lb
Magomed Al-Abdullah (12-1) vs. Razhabali Shaydullaev (9-0)
Flyweight
Amena Hadaya (3-1) vs. Cong Wang (2-0)
Middleweight
Khabib Nabiev (6-0) vs. Adis Taalaybek Uulu (8-4)
Light Heavyweight
Artem Zemlyakov (4-0) vs. Bartosz Szewczyk (6-2)