UFC’s first Emirati fighter set to return at Abu Dhabi fight night

Mohammad Yahya is the first Emirati to compete in the UFC. (X/@MMAJunkie)
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Updated 03 July 2024
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UFC’s first Emirati fighter set to return at Abu Dhabi fight night

  • Mohammad Yahya will take on Brazilian Kaue Fernandes in a lightweight contest on Aug. 3 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi
  • UFC fight night headlined by the bantamweight clash of American Cory Sandhagen and Russian Umar Nurmagomedov

ABU DHABI: Mohammad Yahya, the first Emirati to compete in the UFC, will make his return to take on Brazilian Kaue Fernandes for a lightweight battle on Aug. 3 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Yahya made history last year when he signed with the world’s largest mixed martial arts organization and debuted in the UAE capital in October at UFC 294. The 30-year-old will now return to fight in front of his home fans for the event headlined by a match in the bantamweight division, as American Cory Sandhagen takes on undefeated Russian Umar Nurmagomedov.

Yahya holds an overall record of 12-4 and has extensive experience fighting in the region — particularly with UAE Warriors. Twelve of his sixteen professional fights have taken place in the UAE and he can expect another strong backing from his home crowd. He will be looking to earn his first win in the UFC in arguably the organization’s most competitive division.

Brazil’s Fernandes will also be making his second UFC appearance this August. The 29-year-old holds an 8-2 record, and like Yahya will be looking for his first win inside the Octagon. 

No. 2-ranked Sandhagen has fought on Yas Island twice — picking up bonuses on both occasions — firstly a performance of the night in defeating Marlon Moraes in 2020, followed up with a fight of the night for his battle with Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title a year later.

Nurmagomedov (17-0), currently ranked No. 10 in the division, made his UFC debut in Abu Dhabi, securing a performance of the night bonus in stopping Sergey Morozov. He has gone on to win four further fights and is considered one of the rising stars in the 135-pound class.


Lola Yamaha ABT look for pace and points under the lights in Jeddah

Updated 12 February 2026
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Lola Yamaha ABT look for pace and points under the lights in Jeddah

  • After missing points in Miami, team hope for better showing
  • Working hard, say drivers Zane Maloney and Lucas di Grassi

JEDDAH: Lola Yamaha ABT are returning to race under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where they are hoping to add to their points tally for season 12 of the Formula E World Championship this Friday and Saturday.

Situated alongside the Red Sea, the 19-turn, 3-km track features a long start and finish straight, technical chicanes and sweeping turns. The Saudi Arabian doubleheader will once again be at night.

And also host the first pit-boost race of season 12 where very driver must complete a 30-second, 600-kilowatt boost in the pitlane, giving an extra 10 percent of energy.

Last time in Miami, the team showed good pace throughout the weekend where they narrowly missed out on points, with Zane Maloney finishing 11th and Lucas di Grassi 13th, but they are hopeful for Jeddah.

“After a generally positive race in Miami, where we were much more competitive, I’m looking forward to taking to the track again in Jeddah,” di Grassi said.

“Racing at night always presents different challenges, with changes in temperature and lighting.

“With not much time between these races, we’ve been putting in the hours in the sim (simulator) to ensure we are as prepared as possible to maximize on the improvements seen last time out.”

Maloney said: “Although we narrowly missed out on points in Miami, it was a positive weekend for the team with good pace that shows we are moving in the right direction.

“Jeddah is a fast, technical circuit, which will test the team in different ways, particularly with the addition of the first pit boost of the season. However, we’ve been working hard in the short race gap and I’m confident we can be in the mix to score points this weekend.”

“We saw positive steps forward with organization and processes behind the scenes in Miami and this showed with good race pace which we are hoping to translate to points here in Jeddah,” said Mark Preston, team principal of Lola Yamaha ABT.