The UFC heads to Saudi Arabia for the first time and while much of the lineup has yet to come to light, a handful of fights were signed in recent days.
The UFC Fight Night event takes place March 2 at Boulevard Hall in Riyadh and does not yet have a publicized main event.
Check out the recent additions and full fight card for UFC Saudi Arabia below.
Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev
Perhaps the most high-profile of the pack of additions, Jairzinho Rozenstruik (13-5 MMA, 7-5 UFC) vs. Shamil Gaziev (12-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) will surely have rankings implications.
Rozenstruik, 35, attempts to bounce back from a submission loss to Jailton Almeida at UFC on ABC 4 in May. The loss was his third in four fights, two of which were main events.
Gaziev, 33, gets the fast-track into ranked competition after just one promotional appearance. Gaziev made his debut at UFC 296 in December when he pummeled Martin Buday en route to a second-round standing TKO.
Yanis Ghemmouri vs. Vinicius Oliveira
One of the Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 7 standouts, Vinicius Oliveira (19-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), also known as “LokDog”, has his promotional debut set, as he he’ll take on Yanis Ghemmouri (12-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC).
Brazil’s Oliveira, 28, built a reputation on regional scenes around the world for his finishing abilities and exciting fighting style. He finally showcased it in the international spotlight in September when he flattened Victor Madrigal to earn a UFC contract. Oliveira is a former UAE Warriors bantamweight champion.
France’s Ghemmouri, 28, returns for his second UFC outing after an unsuccessful bid vs. William Gomis in September. Ghemmouri was finished with a kick in Round 3. The finishing blow sparked controversy, with some viewers of the opinion the kick struck the groin – not the body. Regardless, Gomis was deemed the victor.
MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person with knowledge of the matchup, which was first reported by Eurosport NL.
Javid Basharat vs. Aiemann Zahabi
Much like his brother Farid, Javid Basharat (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has struggled to find willing opponents – but he’s found one in Aiemann Zahabi (10-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC).
During his first 10 months in the UFC, Basharat racked up wins against Trevin Jones, Tony Gravely, and Mateus Mendonca. He returned at UFC 294 in October but his bout ended in a no contest after he struck Victor Henry in the groin which lead to a gruesome scene.
Zahabi, the younger brother of esteemed Tristar head coach Firas Zahabi, has found consistency through recent outings. After a 1-2 start to his UFC tenure, Zahabi has won three in a row against Drako Rodriguez, Ricky Turcios, and Aori Qileng.
MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person with knowledge of the matchup after an initial report by MMA Mania.
Brendon Marotte vs. Mohammad Yahya
The first Emirati in UFC history, Mohammad Yahya (12-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) seeks his first UFC win his second attempt when he battles the New England Cartel’s Brendon Marotte (8-2 MMA, 0-1 UFC). Both fighters will drop to featherweight after lightweight debuts.
Yahya, 29, debuted in his home country of United Arab Emirates at UFC 294 in October and lost a unanimous decision to Trevor Peek. Prior to his UFC signing, Yahya was the UAE Warriors lightweight champion.
Marotte, 28, looks to bounce back from a 20-second knockout loss in his short-notice debut vs. Terrance McKinney in October. The loss snapped a three-fight winning streak.
MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with a person with knowledge of the matchup after an initial report by Octagon Update.
The current UFC Saudi Arabia lineup includes:
- Mohammad Mokaev vs. Alex Perez
- Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Shamil Gaziev
- Eryk Anders vs. Jamie Pickett
- Joel Alvarez vs. Ludovit Klein
- Javid Basharat vs. Aiemann Zahabi
- Yanis Ghemmouri vs. Vinicius Oliveira
- Brendon Marotte vs. Mohammad Yahya
