Abu Dhabi (Al Ittihad)
Mohammed Yahya, the first Emirati to compete in the UFC, returns to the ring to face Brazilian Cao Fernandes at the Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov Fight Night on August 3 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.
Yahya entered the history of combat sports in the Emirates, after signing last year with the UFC, the most prominent international mixed martial arts organization, and made his first appearance in its events in the UFC 294 Championship “Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2”, which was hosted by Abu Dhabi last October.
Yahya, 30, will be fighting a tough fight on his home turf against Fernandez in the lightweight division. He has a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, and his career is full of experience in fighting in the region, especially in the “UAE Warriors” championships. Twelve of his 16 professional fights have been held on UAE soil, and he is seeking his first win in UFC matches in the lightweight division, which is the most competitive category in the tournament.
In turn, Fernandez, 29, will make his second appearance in UFC matches next August, supported by a record of 8 wins, against only 2 losses, aspiring to his first victory in the UFC.
The UFC fight night in Abu Dhabi will see a decisive bantamweight clash between American Cory Sandhagen and Russian Umar Nurmagomedov, who has an undefeated record.
The two stars have previously fought in Abu Dhabi, with Sandhagen, ranked second in his division, competing in two fights on Yas Island, first beating Marlon Moraes in 2020, earning the Best Performance award, and then challenging Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title in 2021, in a thrilling encounter that won the Best Fight award.
Nurmagomedov has an undefeated record of 17 wins and is ranked 10th in his division. He made his UFC debut in Abu Dhabi, where he defeated Sergey Morozev to take home the Best Performance award. He has since gone on to pick up further wins, cementing his place among the brightest prospects in the 135-pound division.
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