by Adam Josephson
The Ultimate Fighting Championship has assembled an exciting main card for its return to Abu Dhabi this fall.
On Wednesday, the organization revealed the five-fight lineup for UFC on ABC 7, taking place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Aug. 3. Headlining the event is the bantamweight clash between Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov. The card also features a bantamweight bout between Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo, along with three newly announced matchups.
In the co-main event, Nick Diaz (26-10, 2 NC) will make his comeback in a welterweight bout against Vicente Luque. This marks Diaz’s first fight since UFC 266 in 2021 and only his third appearance in the last decade. Luque, who has faced recent struggles, aims to bounce back from his mixed results, including a victory over Rafael dos Anjos.
Further down the card, Tony Ferguson (25-10) may be making his final appearance at age 40, facing fellow veteran Michael Chiesa (16-7) in a welterweight showdown. Ferguson is on a seven-fight losing streak, while Chiesa has lost his last three bouts. Before this downturn, Ferguson had a 12-fight win streak with notable victories over Anthony Pettis and Rafael dos Anjos. Chiesa’s best UFC run included wins over Carlos Condit and Neil Magny before losing to Luque.
Additionally, strawweights Mackenzie Dern (13-5) and Lupita Godinez (12-4) will clash in a bout with top-10 implications. Dern, a skilled grappler, seeks to rebound from recent losses to Jessica Andrade and Amanda Lemos. Godinez, known for her takedown prowess, looks to recover from a loss to Virna Jandiroba after a four-fight win streak.
