Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Abu Dhabi

Temirov has earned wins in each of his first two UFC appearances and 11 straight overall, but hasn’t competed since besting Charles Johnson on March 1, 2025, due to a 12-month suspension for an anti-doping violation. He has shown knockout power throughout his career — a major plus in the flyweight ranks — and only lost twice in 21 career starts, so it’ll be interesting to see how he slots back into the fold following this layoff.

READ: Dana White On Dricus Du Plessis, Kamaru Usman, Conor McGregor’s Injury & More

Will Erceg continue his run of threes or can Temirov get right back on the climb in his return to the Octagon?

Islam Dulatov vs Wellington Turman

Returning welterweights battle in the middle of Saturday’s main card as Islam Dulatov faces off with Wellington Turman.

A member of Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’24, Dulatov makes just his second UFC start to date, ending a year-long absence. He earned a first-round stoppage win over Adam Fugitt in his debut last July at UFC 318, adding a Performance of the Night bonus while running his winning streak to a dozen and maintaining his 100-percent finishing rate.

Turman competes for the first time since early December 2023, after numerous injuries sidelined him for an extended period. He began his UFC career at middleweight, but moved to the welterweight division two fights back, and returns here still searching for his first win at 170 pounds inside the Octagon.

WATCH: Islam Dulatov: 'I Don't Get Paid By The Minute' | UFC Abu Dhabi

Dulatov was one of the more highly regarded graduates from Season 8, and it’s nice to finally see him back in action. This has all the markings of a classic “trap fight” for the Russian-born, Germany-based prospect, so it will be interesting to see how he navigates things this weekend.

Magomed Zaynukov vs Damian Rzepecki

Debutants share the Octagon in this one as recent Contender Series grad Magomed Zaynukov and Poland’s Damian Rzepecki go head-to-head in this compelling lightweight contest.

Zaynukov set the record for the significant strikes landed (248) in his DWCS win last season and brings a wealth of Muay Thai experience with him into his first promotional start. The latest fighter from the Abdulmanap School to hit the Octagon, expectations are high for the 31-year-old undefeated competitor.

Still a couple of months away from turning 25, Rzepecki touches down in Abu Dhabi with a pristine 10-0 record and 90-percent finishing rate, having gone the distance for the first time in his most recent outing in May. “The Butcher” has spent time training at various outposts and was part of Ilia Topuria’s training camp for his UFC Freedom 250 bout at the White House last month.

Purchase Tickets For UFC 330 In Philadelphia! 

These are two fascinating new additions to the always competitive 155-pound weight class, so everyone should be paying close attention to this one in order to make their initial reads on where each man fits in the division and what the future may hold.

Rizvan Kuniev vs Tyrell Fortune

Ascending heavyweights that have already cracked the rankings take aim at each other here as Rizvan Kuniev steps in against Tyrell Fortune.

Kuniev debuted with a debated split decision loss to Curtis Blaydes last year in Azerbaijan after registering a second DWCS win on Season 8. He followed it up with a victory over Jailton Almeida earlier this year, moving to 13-3-1 with one no contest, and now sits at No. 7 in the Meta rankings and No. 8 in the media rankings.

After a solid run under the Bellator banner and a couple of PFL appearances, Fortune made his first trip into the Octagon in March, earning a unanimous decision win over Marcin Tybura in Seattle in a bout that immediately made waves because Tybura was initially announced as the winner. Now 18-3 overall with two no-contest verdicts, Fortune is unranked in the Meta rankings and stationed at No. 9 in the media rankings.

REGISTER YOUR INTEREST: Noche UFC | UFC Edmonton 

The makeup of the division is changing, and while we used to joke about being in your early to mid 30s as plenty of time to advance in the heavyweight ranks, that doesn’t feel like it’s quite the case anymore, so each of these men should be coming out with designs on making a statement and starting a real push forward in this one.

Abubakar Vagaev vs Saygid Izagakhmaev

It’s a clash of experienced Russian welterweights to kick off the main card in Abu Dhabi as Abubakar Vagaev debuts opposite UFC sophomore Saygid Izagakhmaev.

A pro since 2012, Vagaev owns a 24-4 record that includes wins over future and former UFC competitors Michel Pereira, Luiz Dutra Jr., Michel Prazeres, and Albert Tumenov. He hasn’t fought since that February 2025 win over “Einstein,” so it will be interesting to see how that layoff impacts him in the early goings of his first UFC start on Saturday.

The 39-year-old welterweight competes for the first time since suffering a third-round stoppage loss to Daniel Rodriguez last May and has gone just 2-5 over his last seven starts, though three of those setbacks were by split decision in competitive bouts. Patterson returns after a frustrating, low-output loss to Michael “Venom” Page in London, a defeat that halted his four-fight run of success since moving to the 170-pound ranks.

Ismael Bonfim vs Axel Sola

Lightweights Ismael Bonfim and Axel Sola share the Octagon in a matchup that feels destined to be a part of the post-fight bonus conversation one way or another.

WATCH: Axel Sola: 'The Reward Is Better If I Put On A Show' | UFC Abu Dhabi

Bonfim has dropped two straight and three of his last four after opening his UFC tenure with a stoppage win over Terrance McKinney, with each of those losses coming inside the distance. Sola was on the wrong side of the scorecards in a thrilling brawl with Mason Jones earlier this year and looks to make an expedient return to the win column after suffering his first career loss.

Magomed Tuchalov vs Brendson Ribeiro

Unbeaten newcomer Magomed Tuchalov aims to make a splash in his debut as he faces off with Dana White’s Contender Series grad Brendson Ribeiro.

The 26-year-old Russian, who fights out of Dubai, has earned all six of his wins by stoppage, including his March victory over UFC alum Caio Machado, and he’s yet to see the third round. Ribeiro got his first UFC win over Machado in November 2024, then subbed Diyar Nurgozhay in the Kazakh fighter’s debut four months later, but he’s suffered three straight first-round stoppage losses since.

Nurullo Aliev vs Mike Davis

Undefeated prospect Nurullo Aliev and American veteran Mike Davis meet in a compelling lightweight clash early in the night on Saturday.

Aliev has only had three starts since his impressive showing on Season 6 of Dana White’s Contender Series, winning them all, but losing much of the momentum he built straight out of the gates. Davis has gone 5-1 at lightweight in the UFC, earning three finishes, a Fight of the Night bonus with Mason Jones, and only losing to French standout Fares Ziam.

Cody Gibson vs Abdul Hussein

Veteran Cody Gibson welcomes Abdul Hussein to the UFC in this weekend’s opener at Etihad Arena.

The 38-year-old Gibson is a battler, having gone 2-3 in his five starts following his TUF finale loss to Brad Katona at UFC 292 that earned Fight of the Night honors. Hussein is 15-2 overall and riding an eight-fight winning streak, most recently stopping old friend Tyson Nam on Boxing Day.