Dana White reveals Abu Dhabi fight night main card

UFC CEO Dana White has revealed the main card for the August 3 fight night in Abu Dhabi via his social media channels, presenting an exciting lineup of five bouts that feature some of the most prominent names and promising contenders in mixed martial arts today.

The headliner for the event is Cory Sandhagen facing Umar Nurmagomedov in what White has described as a "No. 1 contender fight." This marks Sandhagen’s first return to the Octagon since his five-round victory over Rob Font in Nashville, Tennessee, during which he sustained a tricep injury that sidelined him for a year.

Sandhagen, hailing from Colorado, is on a three-fight winning streak, with victories over Song Yadong and Marlon “Chito” Vera.

This bout is a rebooked version of the previously planned main event in Nashville last August, which was canceled due to Nurmagomedov suffering a shoulder injury.

Nurmagomedov, whom White has hailed as "the best prospect" at 135 pounds, remains undefeated and has faced minimal resistance in his five outings in the Octagon.

As the cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, he has a significant opportunity to establish himself among the elite in the bantamweight division with a win over Sandhagen.

In the co-main event, MMA legend Nick Diaz makes his return to the welterweight division to take on fan-favorite Vicente Luque.

The 40-year-old Diaz was last seen at UFC 266 against Robbie Lawler, but this will be his first fight at 170 pounds since his bout with Georges St-Pierre for the welterweight title in March 2013.

Luque is eager to secure a big win over a prominent name after his loss to Joaquin Buckley in Atlantic City in March.

Despite losing three of his last four bouts, "The Silent Assassin" remains one of the most feared finishers on the roster, having won all but three of his 22 professional victories without needing a judge's decision.

The main card also features a critical bantamweight matchup between “Chito” Vera and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo.

Vera aims to rebound after his loss to champion “Suga” Sean O’Malley at UFC 299. Facing a former champion like Figueiredo could propel Vera closer to a trilogy fight with the bantamweight champion.

Figueiredo, known as “Deus da Guerra,” has secured back-to-back wins since moving up to the 135-pound division. His latest victory was a submission over former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt at UFC 300.

With only two losses in his 27 professional fights, Figueiredo has been a dominant force in the MMA world.

Another bout on the main card features strawweights Mackenzie Dern and Loopy Godinez. Both fighters are looking to climb the ranks in their division.

Dern is coming off consecutive losses to Jéssica Andrade and Amanda Lemos, with her fight against Lemos at UFC 298 earning Fight of the Night honors.

Godinez, on the other hand, had her four-fight winning streak broken by Virna Jandiroba in March.

She is determined to get back on track, especially with her sister, Ana, set to represent Canada in wrestling at the Paris Olympics later in August.

The main card opener features a clash between Tony Ferguson and Michael Chiesa. Ferguson, a legend in the sport, seeks his first victory since June 2019 in this welterweight bout.

“The Maverick” Chiesa is also aiming to end a three-fight losing streak, having last fought when he was submitted by Kevin Holland at UFC 291.

Get ready for an unforgettable night of fights, and don't forget to purchase your tickets to UFC Abu Dhabi or secure VIP experiences to witness all the action firsthand!

Source: ufc

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