Dana White has long called Abu Dhabi the fight capital of the world. As the UFC returns to the UAE for its 22nd event this weekend, the organisation’s president says the partnership between the promotion and the capital “just keeps getting stronger”.
Fifteen years after hosting its first UFC event, Abu Dhabi once again takes centre stage, the setting for one of the most highly anticipated bouts in heavyweight history as Tom Aspinall, who many are predicting for a long and illustrious reign, defends his title against top-ranked Ciryl Gane, the cherry on top of a mouth-watering cake that is UFC 321.
It is the second UFC event of 2025 to be held in the capital following a summer Fight Night. Running parallel to UFC 321 will be Power Slap 16, the brainchild of White that is fast gaining in popularity, riding shotgun to the world’s lead MMA promotion.
It’s fair to say White is a busy man. In some ways, he is the face of MMA. His popularity among the combat sports community eclipses that of many fighters. In a dark room in the cavernous Etihad Arena, he sits down to tell The National that the relationship with Abu Dhabi is as solid as a Tom Aspinall punch.
“A lot more of what we’ve done over the past several years – the relationship just continues to get stronger and better,” White said when asked if Abu Dhabi can expect elite-level fighters and events on these shores for years to come.
“Now we’ve got UFC Power Slap here, and you’ll probably see some boxing events, UFC BJJ, and who knows what else. So yeah, there’s a lot more coming.”
For White, Abu Dhabi has become an integral part of the UFC’s global identity. The capital helped keep the organisation alive during the coronavirus pandemic; Fight Island was a haven during darker times. It was a collaboration that flourished. In return, the UFC returned every year with the world's best combatants for a numbered event.
When asked for his standout memory of UFC in Abu Dhabi, White didn’t hesitate. “Probably Covid – creating the only true bubble that existed in sports,” he said. “It was such a unique experience being here during that time. I loved it. I had a blast on Yas Island.”
White credits Abu Dhabi with helping sustain the sport during those challenging months, saying the relationship has only deepened. “The connection here is amazing – we’ve built something really special. It’s not just fights anymore. It’s become part of the sport’s DNA.”
UFC and Abu Dhabi's history
The story of the UFC’s bond with Abu Dhabi began on April 10, 2010, a night that would lay the foundation for one of combat sports' most successful partnerships. For any city, hosting a numbered UFC event is a statement of arrival; for Abu Dhabi, it was the start of something far bigger.
The capital was given UFC 112, held at the 12,000-seat outdoor concert arena at Yas Island’s Ferrari World. It was the first time the UFC had staged an event outdoors.
At the time, White called it “one of the biggest and most significant nights in the history of the UFC”. The capital saw two title fights that night. Anderson Silva was halfway through his title reign as arguably the greatest middleweight champion in history; BJ Penn was at the peak of his powers at lightweight.
Penn would lose his strap to Frankie Edgar in the first of their epic trilogy via unanimous decision. Silva's headline bout against Demian Maia turned out to be a damp squib. Silva’s performance left a bad taste in the mouth, taunting his opponent, refusing to engage. Boos greeted the unanimous verdict.
It mattered then, but not in the bigger picture. That night proved to be the launchpad for a partnership between Abu Dhabi and the UFC, one that has grown into one of sport’s most productive and mutually rewarding alliances.
Abu Dhabi’s honour roll of warriors is long and illustrious. Twice Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his lightweight title here, bringing down the curtain on an incredible unbeaten career in October 2020 after submitting Justin Gaethje.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia celebrates his victory over Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. -
Khabib Nurmagomedov after his victory over Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. -
Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia celebrates his victory over Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event in Abu Dhabi. -
Justin Gaethje kicks Khabib Nurmagomedov, -
Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia submits Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. -
Khabib hugs his father after beating Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi in September 2019. -
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has signed professional football contract with Legion Dynamo.
Two years later, Islam Makhachev, the heir to Khabib's throne, won lightweight gold by making Charles Oliveira, the man with the most submission wins in UFC history, tap out.
Israel Adesanya, then at the peak of his style-bending powers, pummelled Paulo Costa at UFC 253. Max Holloway boxed the ears off Calvin Kattar, recording the most strikes in a single fight in history, in one of the many Fight Night promotions held here. "Blessed" was then on the receiving end of a barrage of punches from a fighter even more explosive with his hands, Ilia Topuria, in last year's headline act at UFC 308.
Conor McGregor, with all the braggadocio and bling only the Irishman can bring, came sailing down the Arabian Gulf from Dubai to meet Poirier at UFC 257. By the end of Round 2, he had been truly humbled.
In 2020, Khamzat Chimaev fought on Yas Island twice in 10 days, choking out John Phillips on July 16 before battering Rhys McKee on July 26, the quickest turnaround for fights in UFC history.
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Khamzat Chimaev celebrates after submitting Robert Whittaker in their middleweight bout during UFC 308 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 26, 2024. All images Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Khamzat Chimaev submits Robert Whittaker at the Etihad Arena -
Robert Whittaker suffered a shock defeat in the first round at UFC 308 -
Khamzat Chimaev took Robert Whittaker down in the first round at UFC 308 -
Khamzat Chimaev celebrates victory at UFC 308 -
Khamzat Chimaev extended his unbeaten run at the Etihad Arena -
Khamzat Chimaev overpowered Robert Whittaker in the first round at UFC 308
Chimaev, who now fights under the Emirati flag, also added statement wins over Kamaru Usman and Robert Whittaker, both in Abu Dhabi, crushing the latter's teeth in under 90 seconds at UFC 308. The capital has been a happy hunting ground for the middleweight champion.
Outside of Las Vegas, it's hard to think of a single city that can boast that kind of history, a concentration of stone-cold killers in their prime, and all leaving their own indelible mark.
Present day
All of which brings us to the present day. Aspinall will defend his heavyweight title for the first time since being anointed by White as the division's champion following Jon Jones' retirement.
Aspinall is no stranger to Abu Dhabi, making Saturday something of a full-circle moment for the Manchester monster. The 32-year-old made his UFC debut during Fight Island in July 2020. His first-round TKO win over Jake Collier earned him Performance of the Night. Less than three months later, Alan Baudot would suffer the same fate.
“I absolutely love Abu Dhabi ... It's like a second home," the champion said on Wednesday.
Ahead of Saturday, most of the focus has been on Aspinall, a man who possesses dynamite in both hands and one of the most accomplished ground games in all combat sports. It's not merely a question of how far he's come, but how far can he go?
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Champion Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ahead of their UFC 321 heavyweight title fight, at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. All images by Chris Whiteoak / The National -
English fighter Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane of France face off ahead of their title fight at UFC 321 -
UFC president Dana White speaks during the press conference for Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane title fight at UFC 321 -
Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba face off ahead of their strawweight title fight at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island -
Brazil's Mackenzie Dern during the press conference ahead of her title fight against Virna Jandiroba -
Mackenzie Dern and Virna Jandiroba ahead of their title fight in Abu Dhabi -
Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista ahead of their bantamweight fight in Abu Dhabi -
Umar Nurmagomedov and Mario Bautista face off ahead of their fight at UFC 321
Less attention has been given to his opponent. Twice Gane has fought for UFC gold and came up short both times. Defeats to Francis Ngannou and Jones crushed his dreams, with many predicting the same fate against Aspinall on Saturday.
Few manage distance as well as Gane, and his elite striking skills are a problem for anyone unlucky enough to be on the receiving end. White believes the Frenchman has been unfairly overlooked.
“A lot of people might be sleeping on Ciryl Gane right now, which isn’t a good idea,” he said. “This is a great fight. The Jon Jones fight made people think Gane isn’t as good as they thought, but he is. Saturday night’s a big one, not just for him and Aspinall, but for the whole division.”
And what about the champion? “He’s confident,” White said of Aspinall. “His hands are great. He’s good on the ground, too. I liked what I saw [at Thursday’s press conference] he’s not underestimating Gane. He said, ‘Wherever the fight goes, I’m ready.’ His head’s in the right place for Saturday.”
Whatever the result of that match, Abu Dhabi will crown a new champion on Saturday.
Brazilians Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern battle for the vacant women’s strawweight belt. It will be the second meeting between the two, with Dern the victor in their first meeting nearly five years ago.
"It’s an interesting fight," White said of the co-main event. "Virna’s on a five-fight win streak since her last loss, and Mackenzie’s wild – her fights go everywhere. It should be fun."
Dern said she believes she is "destined" to win a UFC title in Abu Dhabi. Ten years ago, the Brazilian won a gold medal at the Abu Dhabi World Pro, Brazilian jiu-jitsu's premier tournament. She switched to MMA in 2016 and for most of that time it feels like we've been waiting for her to truly arrive.
"True," White agrees. "She burst onto the scene, people have been talking about her ever since. Over the last few years, though, she’s taken her career more seriously. She’s in incredible shape now. We’ll see what happens Saturday."
Whoever has their hand raised in victory, White will be in the cage to strap the belt around their waste. Later that night, Aspinall can cement his burgeoning status as the best heavyweight around with victory over Gane. The Frenchman, in turn, has the tools to cement his own place in history.
Abu Dhabi – fight capital of the world – seems the ideal setting for it.
