News DeskAbu Dhabi, UAE – Mohammad Yahya, the first Emirati to compete in the UFC®, is poised to return to the Octagon® on August 3rd at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Yahya will face Brazilian fighter Kaue Fernandes in a lightweight bout at UFC FIGHT NIGHT®: SANDHAGEN vs. NURMAGOMEDOV.
Yahya made history last year when he signed with the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization, debuting in the UAE capital in October during UFC® 294: MAKHACHEV vs. VOLKANOVSKI 2. The 30-year-old Emirati, who holds an overall record of 12-4, will fight once again in front of his home fans. Yahya has extensive experience fighting in the region, particularly with UAE Warriors, where twelve of his sixteen professional fights have taken place. He is looking to secure his first win in the UFC’s highly competitive lightweight division, with strong support from his home crowd anticipated.
Kaue Fernandes of Brazil, with an 8-2 record, will also be making his second UFC appearance, similarly aiming for his first victory inside the Octagon.
The event will be headlined by a significant bantamweight clash between American Cory Sandhagen and undefeated Russian Umar Nurmagomedov. Both fighters have previously competed in Abu Dhabi. Sandhagen, ranked No.2 in the division, has fought on Yas Island twice, earning performance bonuses on both occasions. He secured a performance of the night bonus by defeating Marlon Moraes in 2020 and a fight of the night bonus for his interim bantamweight title battle against Petr Yan in 2021.
Nurmagomedov, currently ranked No.10 with a perfect 17-0 record, made his UFC debut in Abu Dhabi, where he earned a performance of the night bonus by stopping Sergey Morozov. He has since won four more fights and is considered one of the rising stars in the 135lbs division.
Abu Dhabi fans can expect an electrifying night of fights as local hero Mohammad Yahya looks to make a memorable return in front of a supportive home crowd, alongside a highly anticipated bantamweight headliner.
