Magomed Ankalaev, Umar Nurmagomedov get opponents for UFC Abu Dhabi headliners - MMA Fighting

UFC’s upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi on July 25 will have former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev battling Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event, while top-ranked bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and David Martínez clash in the second-to-last bout of the night. The UFC announced the news Monday. That will mark Ankalaev’s first fight back from a title loss to Alex Pereira in October, when he was stopped in just 80 seconds. Ankalaev, now 21-2-1 as a professional, went unbeaten in his previous 14 UFC fights, a run that includes a decision win over “Poatan” seven months prior. Rountree Jr. is also trying to get back to the winning column after suffering a defeat to former champion Jiri Prochazka on that same night. The one-time title challenger won six of his past eight in the octagon, collecting bonuses in five of those appearances. Nurmagomedov and Martinez are looking to earn a shot at the 135-pound belt in the co-main event. The Russian talent won back-to-back fights over Deiveson Figueiredo and Mario Bautista since challenging Merab Dvalishvili for UFC gold in 2025, the sole loss of his 21-fight career, while Martinez enters the cage with a pro record of 14-1 with a trio of octagon victories over Marlon Vera, Rob Font and Saimon Oliveira. Check the updated UFC Abu Dhabi line-up below. * Magomed Ankalaev vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. * Umar Nurmagomedov vs. David Martínez * Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen * Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola * Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev * Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov * Magomed Tuchalov vs. Brendson Ribeiro * Dustin Jacoby vs. Uran Satybaldiev * Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman