5 most memorable UFC moments in Abu Dhabi
This weekend sees the UFC visit Abu Dhabi for what looks like a big Fight Night event. This will be the promotion's first visit to Yas Island in 2024, but it won't be the last.
The UFC has been putting on events in Abu Dhabi for over a decade now, dating back to 2010. Unsurprisingly, the Middle East has seen some hugely memorable moments in that time.
With title changes, major retirements and some crazy fights, the fans in Abu Dhabi have had a lot to enjoy over the past 14 years.
Here are the five most memorable UFC moments to take place in Abu Dhabi.
#5. Anderson Silva's virtuoso performance goes down badly - UFC 112 (2010)
The UFC's first visit to Abu Dhabi in 2010 saw a truly memorable moment in the event's headline bout. Unfortunately, it was memorable for the wrong reasons.
The event was headlined by Anderson Silva's sixth middleweight title defense against Demian Maia. As 'The Spider' had previously dispatched the likes of Rich Franklin and Dan Henderson in highlight reel fashion, the fans were naturally excited.
Silva, though, had other ideas, and decided to put on a performance that was essentially the MMA equivalent of an overly long and pretentious guitar solo.
It was clear from the first round that Maia was painfully overmatched, but despite hurting him with strikes, 'The Spider' didn't seem concerned with finishing his foe.
Instead, he danced around, dodged his takedowns, taunted him, and even appeared to play air guitar at one point.
The fans in attendance - as well as Dana White - were furious. Even referee Dan Miragliotta appeared frustrated, taking a point from Silva in the fifth round for his apparent refusal to engage.
It didn't matter. 'The Spider' won a clear-cut unanimous decision, but left everyone scratching their head with this bizarre, if virtuoso performance. If nothing else, it was unforgettable.
#4. Islam Makhachev takes the crown - UFC 280 (2022)
Islam Makhachev had long been considered the heir to the throne of his mentor and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov, but when 'The Eagle' retired in 2020, he finally got a chance to step out of his shadow.
On the back of a 10-fight win streak, Makhachev was granted a shot at the then-vacant lightweight title against former champ Charles Oliveira at the back end of 2022.
Unlike Khabib's seemingly unstoppable march to the title, there was some doubt around Makhachev's credentials. Sure, he'd beaten 10 fighters in a row, but none of them stood out as elite-level, with the most proven probably being Dan Hooker.
Oliveira, meanwhile, was statistically the best finisher in UFC history, and he'd dispatched the likes of Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler. If anyone could catch Makhachev with something nasty, 'Do Bronx' could.
The Brazilian, though, was thoroughly outclassed by the Dagestani in a truly eye-opening performance.
From the first round, which saw Makhachev easily fend off Oliveira's usually deadly submissions, to the second, which saw him drop the Brazilian before submitting him with an arm triangle choke, this was an awe-inspiring showing.
Makhachev has, of course, defended his title on three occasions since, including one win in Abu Dhabi. He's never quite topped this showing yet, though, making the moment that he won the lightweight crown his most memorable to date.
#3. Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor - UFC 257 (2021)
After suffering through a seemingly never-ending run of behind-closed-doors events during the COVID-19 pandemic, UFC 257 was a true breath of fresh air.
Not only was the event, which took place in the newly built Etihad Arena on Yas Island, the first major one to have fans in attendance since the pandemic began, but it had a huge headline bout.
That bout was the long-awaited rematch between lightweight superstars Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
The two rivals had met back in 2014, with 'The Notorious' sniping Poirier in the first round with his trademark left hand. McGregor had gone on to become the UFC's biggest-ever star in the years that followed, while Poirier had also done well for himself, claiming the interim lightweight title in 2019.
Given how good McGregor had looked in early 2020 against Donald Cerrone, the smart money appeared to be on the Irishman to get one over on Poirier again.
However, Poirier proved that he'd come on further than his rival in the near-seven years since their first clash.
He broke down McGregor with a series of low kicks, and eventually used them to set up a fight-ending combination, knocking the Irishman out with a second round right hook.
It was the first time that 'The Notorious' had ever been stopped with strikes in MMA, and it quickly propelled 'The Diamond' into superstardom.
While it might not have been the result Dana White and company were hoping for, it was definitely a memorable way to start the post-pandemic era in the octagon.
#2. Khamzat Chimaev makes UFC history - UFC Fight Island 2 & 3 (2020)
When Dana White claimed that he'd "secured a private island" to produce UFC events at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, fans immediately began to dream of something that resembled Bruce Lee's 'Enter the Dragon'.
That wasn't really the case, though. 'Fight Island' ended up being Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, which had already hosted numerous UFC events before. The events held there during the pandemic, meanwhile, didn't resemble anything different from those held in say, Jacksonville.
While it was hard not to be disappointed, those early Fight Island shows did produce some memorable moments. One such moment - or moments, to be exact - happened in the very first run of events there in July 2020.
Nobody had heard of Khamzat Chimaev prior to the event in Abu Dhabi on July 16, but after he stepped in on late notice to maul John Phillips, it was clear that 'Borz' had potential.
However, what turned the native of Chechnya from a regular prospect to the promotion's fastest-rising star was what happened next.
Just 10 days after his octagon debut, 'Borz' took another late-notice fight, this time with Rhys McKee, and dispatched him in just three minutes.
By winning two fights in the space of 10 days, Chimaev had broken the record for the fastest consecutive wins in modern UFC history, and had turned himself into a phenomenon in the process.
While various health issues have slowed down that momentum since, it's safe to say that he's never looked back.
It'd now be a surprise if he didn't win a UFC title in the future, and so the legendary beginning to his octagon career definitely stands as one of Abu Dhabi's most memorable moments.
#1. Khabib hangs up his gloves for good - UFC 254 (2020)
The legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov is widely recognized as one of the greatest UFC fighters of all time. His reign as lightweight champion saw him make two title defenses in Abu Dhabi.
However, while his 2019 victory over Dustin Poirier was excellent, his most memorable moment in the Middle East turned out to be the final one in his octagon career.
September 2020 saw 'The Eagle' challenged by perhaps his toughest test to date. The heavy-handed Justin Gaethje had eviscerated Tony Ferguson to claim the interim lightweight title a few months earlier, snapping the 12-fight win streak of 'El Cucuy' in the process.
It was hard to predict how Khabib would handle the brutal striking of 'The Highlight', and many fans suspected Gaethje would prove to be his kryptonite.
However, while he did tag the Dagestani with some heavy strikes, the interim champion was never quite able to break out of first gear.
He found himself grounded by 'The Eagle' in both the first and second rounds of the fight, and when Khabib locked in a triangle choke in the second, there was no way out.
Gaethje tapped out, leaving no doubt as to who the world's best 155 pound fighter was. What happened next, though, made this moment iconic.
Khabib's father and trainer Abdulmanap had passed away due to COVID-19 prior to the event, and 'The Eagle' had apparently promised his mother that without his father's guidance, he would not continue to fight.
A man of his word, the Dagestani promptly removed his gloves after he'd beaten Gaethje, and stunned the world by announcing his retirement.
Dana White naturally attempted to get Khabib to change his mind, but eventually even he gave up the ghost and accepted that there was no going back.
As of the time of writing, 'The Eagle' remains the only UFC champion to retire without ever suffering a single defeat. For historic reasons as well as emotional ones, Khabib's retirement stands as the most memorable moment to take place in Abu Dhabi.