UFC Qatar fight week is here. Counting Saturday morning and afternoon’s card (USA time,) there are only three shows left on the 2025 promotional schedule between now and the time the first quarter of this century ends on Dec. 31.
This week, Dana White’s organization makes its first-ever visit to the nation of Qatar, which is no stranger to hosting marquee sporting events. Three years ago, the FIFA World Cup was held in Qatar, ultimately won by Lionel Messi and Argentina on penalty kicks, 4-2 in the final after regular and extra time failed to produce a champion, finishing level at full time, 3-3.
After UFC Qatar is complete this Saturday night, the promotion takes a week’s recess in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States before going home for the holidays with two shows in Las Vegas in December. Inside the United States, this week’s card will be seen on ESPN+.
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Live coverage begins Saturday morning at 10 am ET/ 7 am PT with the prelims before moving onto the main card at 1 pm ET/ 10 am PT. All told, if there are no alterations made to the schedule between now and the weekend, the final version of UFC Qatar features a slate of 14 fights from the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world.
UFC Qatar Featured Prelim: Bogdan Grad vs. Luke Riley
At the top of the bill for the undercard this Saturday, you’ll be seeing a contest in the featherweight ranks when Bogdan Grad (15-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) collides with Cage Warriors alumnus Luke Riley (11-0 MMA, UFC promotional debut.) All fights mentioned herein are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.
Grad makes his third walk to the fabled Octagon over the weekend having posted a record of 4-1 in his last five fights. The 2024 Contender Series graduate suffered his first defeat under the UFC promotional banner this past June against Muhammad Naimov (13-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC) in Baku, Azerbaijan on ABC.
Prior to this contest, Grad had won four out of six fights. How will he rebound on Saturday?
Across the way, Luke Riley has yet to lose thus far in his professional career. Back in March, he secured a second-round knockout win over Tariel Abbasov (9-4 MMA) in Cage Warriors 185. Riley is a man who was targeted for a fight on Contender Series in the 2024 season before the appearance was scrubbed due to visa issues.
He’ll get his chance to show off in the big leagues in UFC Qatar on Saturday night. Will he continue his undefeated ways?
UFC Qatar Co-Featured Prelim: Nicolas Dalby vs. Saygid Izagakhmaev
Immediately beforehand, the co-featured prelim of UFC Qatar happens at welterweight when Nicolas Dalby (23-6-1, 2 NC MMA, 7-5-1, 1 NC UFC) collides with former ONE Championship fighter Saygid Izagakhmaev (22-2 MMA, UFC promotional debut.) Dalby enters the weekend with a record of 3-2 in his last five fights.
Most recently, he was on the losing end of a second-round knockout by way of a right hook from Randy Brown (20-7 MMA, 14-7 UFC in Kansas City, KS. Brown just fought last weekend in Madison Square Garden, losing to Gabriel Bonfim by way of a knee from the clinch. The April 26 fight between Dalby and Brown was the second defeat in a row for the former.
Saturday’s co-featured prelim is going to be Dalby’s 15th walk to the Octagon and he’s won half of his fights thus far in the promotion heading into UFC Qatar. His opponent has shown himself to be a tough out.
Meanwhile, Saygid Izagakhmaev comes into UFC Qatar on a roll, having posted a record of 5-0 in his last five contests under MMA rules and 6-0 in his last six fights across all competitions, including a May grappling match in Karate Combat.
As far as MMA fights go, he hasn’t fought in three years, knocking out Shinya Aoki (49-12, 1 NC MMA) in ONE 163 in November of 2022. Three years away from MMA competition is a long time. How will his UFC debut turn out?
UFC Qatar: No. 7 Contender Alex Perez vs. No. 8 Contender Asu Almabayev
UFC Qatar’s undercard also features an all-ranked matchup at flyweight. No. 7 contender Alex Perez (25-9 MMA, 7-5 UFC) meets No. 8 contender Asu Almabayev (22-3 MMA, 5-1 UFC.) Perez walks into the cage with a mark of 1-4 in his last five MMA bouts dating back to 2020.
He’s been out of competition since June of last year. That spring night, he dropped a second-round TKO after he couldn’t continue upon suffering a knee injury against Tatsuro Taira (17-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) in UFC Vegas 93’s main event of the evening.
Perez has had 17 months away from the cage, and a planned Aug. 9 fight vs. Steve Erceg was scrubbed due to an injury. Will he return to the win column after the hiatus?
In the other corner, Asu Almabayev will be making his seventh UFC appearance in UFC Qatar on Saturday night sporting a 4-1 clip in his five past five contests. So far in 2025, he’s 1-1, including a unanimous decision win over Jose Ochoa (8-2, 1 NC MMA, 1-2 UFC) in July on the last UFC card to air on ABC.
Almabayev has had an active stretch. Since the start of 2023, he’s made the walk to the cage six times, averaging two fights per year. Only time will tell if he stays in victory lane this weekend.
Rest of the Prelims:
The UFC Qatar undercard is rounded out by these fights:
- a light heavyweight contest pairing Abdul-Rahkman Yakhyaev (7-0 MMA, UFC promotional debut) with Raffael Cerqueira (11-3 MMA, 0-3 UFC,)
- a bantamweight fight between Bekzat Almakhan (12-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) and Aleksandre Topuria (6-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC,)
- a middleweight encounter pitting Ismail Naurdiev (24-8 MMA, 3-3 UFC) against Ryan Loder (7-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC,)
- a lightweight attraction versing Nurullo Aliev (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Shem Rock (12-1-1 MMA, UFC promotional debut,)
- and a heavyweight bout between Marek Bujilo (6-0 MMA) and Denzel Freeman (6-1 MMA) in the UFC debut for both men.
Which prelims are you looking forward to on UFC Qatar? Let us know in the comments.
