The UFC’s third event in Abu Dhabi will take place on September 7 of this year, it has been announced by the organisation.
After first holding a lightweight world title bout between BJ Penn and Frankie Edgar, as well as a middleweight championship fight between Anderson Silva and Demian Maia on the same card, and returning four years later with a card headlined by Roy Nelson and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the company will return to the Middle East this year for a card expected to be headlined by Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier. No bouts have officially been announced as of yet.
The event comes as part of a new five-year partnership between the UFC and the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). The agreement states that each event held in the region for the next five years will have at least one world title fight take place.
It’s official! We’re bringing #UFC242 to @VisitAbuDhabi!
Don’t miss out! Here’s how to get tickets #InAbuDhabi: https://t.co/OilM7VwB29 pic.twitter.com/Nkb9EHVjSh
— UFC (@ufc) April 29, 2019
Previous UFC owners Lorenzo and Frank Feritta have previously sold a 10 percent share in the company in 2010, around the time of the first event in Abu Dhabi, to Flash Entertainment, a live event company who specialise in hosting high profile events in the area. This stage was sold back to the UFC’s new owners Endeavor (formerly WME-IMG) last year.
“We are making a long-term commitment to Abu Dhabi because we have had great success in that market,” Dana White said in a press release.
“The demand from our fans to bring UFC back to Abu Dhabi has been overwhelming, and over the next five years, DCT Abu Dhabi will help us deliver some spectacular UFC championship fights to the UAE. I’m very excited about this partnership and what it will mean for the growth of this sport and for UFC in the region.“
