Abu Dhabi welcomes back UFC : Tickets go on sale tomorrow

On October 22, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will return to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with Charles Oliveira competing against Islam Makhachev for the unclaimed lightweight championship at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island.

The return of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, which will take place from October 17-23 and will be centred by UFC 280 and comprise of other sports and entertainment ancillary events, will also take place in October. This event will be powered by Flash Entertainment.

On Friday, July 22, at 1 pm (UAE time), tickets for the event UFC® 280: Oliveira vs. Makhachev will go on sale to the general public through Etihad Arena and Ticketmaster. On Thursday, members of the UFC Fight Club® will have the chance to purchase tickets early in the day, and those who have registered their interest in attending the event will have access beginning at 1 p.m.

Oliveira, who has a record of 33-8-1 and fights out of Sao Paulo, Brazil, will be attempting to recapture the vacant championship following his previous victory against Justin Gaethje, in which he was triumphant by a wide margin. In May 2021, the Brazilian won the championship after stopping Michael Chandler in the second round. Seven months later, he successfully defended his title against Dustin Poirier. When Oliveira failed to make the weight requirement, Gaethje was the only one who could win the championship when the two competitors faced each other in May of this year.

In spite of this, Oliveira was able to achieve a submission victory in the first round to solidify his position at the top of the division’s rankings. As a result of this win, Oliveira extended his UFC records for most finishes (19) and most submissions (16). He will go into the match in Abu Dhabi with the intention of successfully reclaiming the title.

Makhachev, who has a record of 22-1 and competes out of Makhachkala, Dagestan, is already a fan favourite in Abu Dhabi as a result of his fights against Davy Ramos and Dan Hooker, which are scheduled to take place here in 2019 and 2021 respectively. Makhachev is currently riding a winning run of ten fights after stopping Bobby Green in the first round of his most recent bout. Makhachev is a product of the world-famous Nurmagomedov squad. Makhachev, a gifted ground fighter, already has 10 submission wins during his MMA career. He will be looking to add Oliveira’s name to his winning streak by claiming the lightweight title in front of a crowd in Abu Dhabi that will effectively be a ‘home’ crowd for him. Oliveira’s name will be added to Makhachev’s winning streak.

Also on the night, welterweight contender Belal Muhammad, who is now rated No. 5 in the UFC, will be competing against Sean Brady, who is currently ranked No. 9 and is climbing the rankings quickly. Muhammad is now enjoying the finest stretch of his career in the UFC, as he is undefeated in his most recent eight fights, including victories against noteworthy opponents such as Vicente Luque, Stephen Thompson, and Demian Maia.

Now, he wants to add another performance that makes a statement to his resume in order to strengthen his case for a chance to win the title. Unbeaten prospect Brady has his sights set on becoming the fifth-ranked boxer in the world by building on the momentum he has gained from recent victories over Michael Chiesa, Jake Matthews, and Chistian Aguilera. Now that he has the opportunity, he plans to put his black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to the test and attempt to become the first man to successfully submit Muhammad.