ABU DHABI – UAE Warriors returns later this month with another mega-weekend of international MMA action. Live from the Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Pass, we will see a true celebration of global MMA with three events back-to-back-to-back over three nights featuring athletes from across the planet.
- “UAE Warriors 35: Africa” – Friday, February 24
- UAE Warriors 36 – Saturday, February 25
- “UAE Warriors 37: Arabia” – Sunday, February 26
Taking center stage, we will see the return of champion Bruno Machado (15-9) as he is set to defend his UAE Warriors lightweight title against the ever entertaining Armenian Martun Mezhlumyan (14-3) in the main event of UAE Warriors 36 on Saturday, February 25.
The Brazilian was last seen in action in a high-profile boxing bout with the legendary Anderson Silva where they fought out a draw in the co-main event of the Floyd Mayweather super-event last year in Abu Dhabi. In MMA, the 36-year-old is on an impressive six-fight winning streak.
Former PFL $1 million tournament winner Emiliano Sordi (23-11-1) will meet Kazakhstan’s Asylzhan Bakhytzhanuly (13-4-1) in the cards’ co-main event. The popular Argentinian will aim to get back to winning ways and impress in his UAE Warriors debut while Bakhytzhanuly has the opportunity to score the biggest win of his career.
The night prior, on Friday, February 24, we will see the fourth installment of the UAE Warriors Africa series of events with “UAE Warriors 35: Africa.” History will also be made at this event as the very first UAE Warriors Africa featherweight champion will be crowned when “The Crazy Cameroonian” Jaures Dea (9-5) and Guinea’s Mohamed Camara (5-1) battle it out for the inaugural title.
The African series was successfully launched in early 2022 with the goal of providing a platform for fighters of African heritage to compete on a global stage. This coming edition will see over a dozen African nations represented.
Finally, “UAE Warriors 37: Arabia” will round-off an incredible weekend on Sunday, February 26. The UAE’s very own Mohammad Yahya (11-3) will defend his UAE Warriors Arabia lightweight championship against the dangerous and always entertaining Souhil Tahiri (5-3-1).
A true pioneer of the regional MMA scene, Yahya has been competing for over a decade now and over the past two years has hit his peak form in compiling a four-fight win-streak, including a KO win to capture the UAE Warriors Arabia title. He will need to be in prime condition against Tahiri, as the Algerian has demonstrated an unpredictable style coupled with a slick submission game across his three promotional bouts.
Supporting this, in the co-main event, Jordan’s Nawras Abzakh (10-4), amongst the most technically sound fighters in the region, will look to claim the inaugural UAE Warriors Arabia flyweight title when he faces Lebanese up-and-coming prospect Jonny Touma (5-1) in what could be the most action-packed fight of the entire three-day weekend.
