A pair of electric fights have officially added to the UFC’s return to Saudi Arabia in February.
In the headlining spot, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya returns to action against the surging Nassourdine Imavov while the co-main event features Michael “Venom” Page moving to middleweight for a showdown against fast-rising star Shara “Bullet” Magomedov.
UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement via his social media channel on Saturday morning.
Adesanya vs Imavov and Magomedov vs Page is LIVE February 1st from Riyadh! #UFCRiyadh #RiyadhSeason @RiyadhSeason pic.twitter.com/1NHjEbtax1
— danawhite (@danawhite) December 14, 2024
Adesanya, the No. 4 ranked 185-pound fighter in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, looks to right the ship after failing to reclaim his middleweight crown against current champion Dricus du Plessis at UFC 305 in August. Before to that loss, fans witnessed “Stylebender” drop his title in the shocking upset to Sean Strickland at UFC 293 in September 2023.
Adesanya looks to add another top name to his win column, which includes Alex Pereira, Jared Cannonier, Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Yoel Romero.
Imavov, the No. 7 ranked middleweight, looks to continue his winning ways after securing a hard-fought victory win over Brendan Allen at UFC Paris in September. The win pushed him to three in a row overall, which also includes victories over Jared Cannonier and Roman Dolidze.
As for the co-main event, Page takes his talents to 185 pounds where he faces Magomedov in a matchup between two elite strikers.
Page, the No. 13 ranked 170-pound fighter, had previously called out Magomedov in an interview with MMA FIghting.
In terms of competition, ‘Venom’ was last seen dropping a decision to Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 in June. This setback marked his first loss in the UFC after debuting with a dominant decision win over Kevin Holland in March.
Magomedov, a former Muay Thai and kickboxing champion, has yet to taste defeat in his professional career. Most recently, fans saw him score a thrilling double-spinning back fist KO over Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 in October. This win marked his 12th victory by knockout and 15th overall.
The UFC’s return to Saudi Arabia goes down inside the ANB Arena on February 1 from Riyadh.
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