After UFC Abu Dhabi last night (July 26, 2025) on “Fight Island,” it’s clear Whittaker’s time near the top has come to an end.

Abu Dhabi has cemented its status as a global hub for combat sports, hosting its 21st UFC event with a stacked card headlined by Whittaker vs. De Ridder. Backed by a renewed partnership with UFC through 2028,

The veteran referee was criticized for having a quick trigger at UFC Nashville, but the opposite was the case at UFC Abu Dhabi. Herzog allowed Mohammad Yahya to suffer eight knockdowns, six of which were officially recognized by the promotion to set a new promotional record.

Only one athlete debuted on "Fight Island" last night (Sat., July 27, 2025) at UFC Abu Dhabi and it was a big one, but it did not go so well - Lets grade his respective performance.

Following a 42-second upset knockout of Carlos Leal on Saturday's card in Abu Dhabi, Muslim Salikhov called for a showdown against Thompson (17-9-1 MMA, 12-9-1 UFC) in what would be a pairing of two of the division's most decorated strikers.

In a statement on social media, the 31-year-old revealed that she will require another facial surgery. Ribas previously had surgery for a broken orbital bone following her loss to Maycee Barber in June of 2023, with her team stating (via Marcel Dorff on X) that the bone broke in the same place during her loss to Ricci.

Amanda Ribas had an immediate reaction when Tabatha Ricci landed an elbow near her eye at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Mohammad Yahya faced off against Steven Nguyen on the preliminary card of UFC Abu Dhabi, suffering a gnarly eye injury that is one of the worst you will ever see.