UFC Abu Dhabi Delivers Exciting Prelims Saturday on Yas Island!

UFC Abu Dhabi fight week is here. Saturday night, the No. 1 promotion in MMA ends its July schedule of events with another UFC Fight Night. Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates serves as the setting for this weekend's card.

Inside the United States of America, live coverage of UFC Abu Dhabi begins at an earlier than normal start time of 9 am ET/ 6 am PT. The event can be seen from beginning to end via Paramount Plus.

Main card action caps the day at 12 noon ET/ 9 am PT. If there are no alterations to the itinerary between now and fight night, the final version of UFC Abu Dhabi will feature a slate of 13 MMA fights inside the fabled Octagon.

UFC Abu Dhabi Featured Prelim: No. 13 Contender Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen: Walker Returns After Leg Injury

At the top of the undercard of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday, the heavyweights go to battle when No. 13 contender Valter Walker (15-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) fights Thomas Petersen (11-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC.) All fights mentioned herein are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.

Walker has posted a record of 4-1 in his last five MMA fights dating back to April of 2024. On Oct. 25, he secured a first-round submission (heel hook) against Louie Sutherland (11-5 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

In the aftermath of UFC 321, Valter Walker revealed that he had suffered a fractured left fibia. He'd been scheduled to return at the end of March for UFC Seattle, but the bout against Marcin Tybura (27-11 MMA, 14-10 UFC) wound up postponed due to Walker not being fully recovered from the injury.

By the time UFC Abu Dhabi begins on Saturday night, exactly nine months will have passed between fights for Walker. How will he fare with a clean bill of health now afforded to him?

Thomas Petersen Looks to Go Over .500 in UFC Abu Dhabi

Meanwhile, Thomas Petersen has gone 3-2 in his last five outings. Back on April 4 at Meta Apex in Enterprise, NV, he scored a majority decision over Guilherme Pat (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) after 15 minutes of action.

Unlike Valter Walker, Thomas Petersen has had only a little over three months between contests. Up to now, he's batting .500 in the organization, with all of his victories having required the judges' scorecards to be confirmed. 

Saturday's featured prelim in UFC Abu Dhabi is Petersen's seventh bout with the company. Only time will tell if he flies out of Abu Dhabi with a winning record in the UFC.

UFC Abu Dhabi Co-Featured Prelim: Dustin Jacoby vs. Muhammad Said: Jacoby Aiming for Another Finish

Immediately beforehand, the action shifts to the 205-lb division for a battle between Dustin Jacoby (22-9-1 MMA, 10-6-1 UFC) and Muhammad Said (9-0 MMA, UFC promotional debut.) Jacoby will be making the walk Saturday on the strength of a 3-2 mark in his last five appearances. 

He's won three in a row, with all three victories being recorded inside the distance. On Feb. 7, Jacoby punched his way to a victory at Meta Apex versus Julius Walker (7-3 MMA, 1-3 UFC) in the second round. 

Although Dustin Jacoby has secured three successive stoppages ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi this coming weekend, his opponent has been known to be a tough customer at the shop when the cage door closes on any given fight night.

Muhammad Said Seeks 10th Pro Victory in UFC Premiere Saturday Night

Across the way, Muhammad Said will be appearing in the UFC for the first time this weekend having yet to lose thus far in his professional MMA career. Heading into UFC Abu Dhabi this weekend, he's stopped eight of his first nine opponents as a pro.

This past May, he scored a first-round knockout versus Luis Henrique da Silva (20-12 MMA,) a UFC alumnus who went 2-4 in the promotion between 2016 and 2017, during UAE Warriors 71 on UFC Fight Pass. This fight was a rebooking of a postponed contest from UAE Warriors 63 from last September. 

With Said on a hot streak, it's safe to say that he's a dangerous fighter. Can he make a great first impression in the UFC on Saturday night? Tune in and find out.

UFC Abu Dhabi: Santiago Ponzinibbio vs. Sam Patterson: Ponzinibbio Returns After One-Year Layoff

Also on the UFC Abu Dhabi undercard this Saturday, the welterweights take to the Octagon for a bout matching Santiago Ponzinibbio (30-9 MMA, 12-8 UFC) against Sam Patterson (14-3-1 MMA, 4-2 UFC.) Ponzinibbio is sporting a 2-3 record in his last five bouts dating back to 2022. 

Last year, he was on the receiving end of a third-round knockout from Daniel Rodriguez (20-5 MMA, 10-4 UFC) during UFC Des Moines. Ponzinibbio had been slated to return last October against Vicente Luque before the bout was canceled due to his withdrawal from the card. 

Although this is Ponzinibbio's 40th bout as a professional, he's got no intentions to retire now and won't say no to a fight, saying recently "If I want to stop, I can stop. It's not about money, it's about what I love." How will he do this time?

Sam Patterson Looking to Start New Winning Streak

In the other corner, Sam Patterson enters this weekend having posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. Last time out, he saw his four-fight winning streak snapped at the hands of Michael "Venom" Page (25-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) during this year's iteration of UFC London.

In so doing, Page extended his own winning streak to three bouts. Just as a fighter is dangerous when he's on a winning streak, he can be equally as dangerous when he's coming off of a loss.

Expect Sam Patterson to fight with frustration on Saturday night.

Rest of the Prelims

UFC Abu Dhabi's undercard is rounded out by these contests:

• A lightweight encounter pairing Ismael Bonfim (20-6 MMA, 2-3 UFC) against Axel Sola (11-1-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC,)
• a light heavyweight showcase between Brendson Ribeiro (17-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC) and Magomed Tuchalov (6-0 MMA, UFC promotional debut,)
• a lightweight fight matching Nurillo Aliev (11-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) with Mike Davis (12-3 MMA, 5-2 UFC,)
• and a banta,weight bout versing Cody Gibson (21-12 MMA, 3-7 UFC) with Abdul Hussein (15-2 MMA, UFC promotional debut.)