Ankalaev, Nurmagomedov set for UFC Abu Dhabi on July 25

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UFC’s upcoming trip to Abu Dhabi on July 25 will have former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev battling Khalil Rountree Jr. in the main event, while top-ranked bantamweights Umar Nurmagomedov and David Martínez clash in the second-to-last bout of the night. The UFC announced the news Monday. That will mark Ankalaev’s first fight back from a title loss to Alex Pereira in October, when he was stopped in just 80 seconds. Ankalaev, now 21-2-1 as a professional, went unbeaten in his previous 14 UFC fights, a run that includes a decision win over “Poatan” seven months prior. Rountree Jr. is also trying to get back to the winning column after suffering a defeat to former champion Jiri Prochazka on that same night. The one-time title challenger won six of his past eight in the octagon, collecting bonuses in five of those appearances. Nurmagomedov and Martinez are looking to earn a shot at the 135-pound belt in the co-main event. The Russian talent won back-to-back fights over Deiveson Figueiredo and Mario Bautista since challenging Merab Dvalishvili for UFC gold in 2025, the sole loss of his 21-fight career, while Martinez enters the cage with a pro record of 14-1 with a trio of octagon victories over Marlon Vera, Rob Font and Saimon Oliveira. Check the updated UFC Abu Dhabi line-up below. Magomed Ankalaev vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. Umar Nurmagomedov vs. David Martínez Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola Tyrell Fortune vs. Rizvan Kuniev Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov Magomed Tuchalov vs. Brendson Ribeiro Dustin Jacoby vs. Uran Satybaldiev Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman

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Magomed Ankalaev returns for his first fight since losing the UFC title