(This story was updated to add new information.)
The UFC’s return to the Middle East is set for Saturday in Saudi Arabia.
Here’s how to watch UFC Fight Night 250 with a former middleweight champion at the top of the card at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Broadcast and streaming info
UFC Fight Night 250 has a main card that begins at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) on ESPN+. The preliminary card streams on on ESPN+ at 9 a.m. ET.
Veteran broadcaster Dan Hellie serves as desk anchor and host at UFC Fight Night 250.
UFC Hall of Famer and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping and retired welterweight Alan Jouban join him as analysts at the desk.
UFC correspondent McKenzie Pavacich will conduct pre and post-fight interviews backstage with some of the athletes on the UFC Fight Night 250 card, as well as report additional real-time updates for the event.
John Gooden will serve as the leading man on the mic from cageside at UFC Fight Night 250.
He’ll command play-by-play and be joined in the booth by retired lightweight contender Paul Felder, as well as Laura Sanko, who becomes the first female to do cageside commentary on an MMA event in Saudi Arabia.
(Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie)
Main event: Israel Adesanya
Record: 24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC
Opponent: Nassourdine Imavov (15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Alex Pereira, Jared Cannonier, Robert Whittaker (twice), Marvin Vettori (twice), Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, Anderson Silva, Derek Brunson
Misc.: Adesanya will be trying to snap the first skid of his career. After he won the middleweight title back from Alex Pereira, he dropped it to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. After 11 months away, he returned to challenge current champ Dricus du Plessis for the belt and was submitted in the fourth round.
Main event: Nassourdine Imavov
Record: 15-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC
Opponent: Israel Adesanya (24-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Brendan Allen, Jared Cannonier, Roman Dolidze, Joaquin Buckley
Misc.: Imavov has three straight wins and a well-rounded resume that includes six knockouts, four submissions and five decisions in his 15 career wins.
Co-main event: Shara Magomedov
Record: 15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC
Opponent: Michael Page (22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Armen Petrosyan
Misc.: Shara “Bullet” has three straight post-fight bonus awards. All of his UFC fights have been in either Abu Dhabi or Saudi Arabia.
Co-main event: Michael Page
Record: 22-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC
Opponent: Shara Magomedov (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Kevin Holland, Goiti Yamauchi, Douglas Lima, Paul Daley
Misc.: After more than a decade in Bellator, “MVP” came to the UFC and won his debut against Kevin Holland, but got outworked by Ian Machado Garry at UFC 303 this past June. This is a one-off fight at middleweight, Page said – he still plans on fighting at welterweight in the future.
UFC debut: Hamdy Abdelwahab
Record: 3-0
Opponent: Jamal Pogues (11-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC)
Division: Heavyweight
Misc.: Egypt’s Abdelwahab made his promotional debut at UFC 277 with a win over Don’Tale Mayes in July 2022. But that was flipped to a no contest when he failed a drug test. He was scheduled to fight Parker Porter later in 2022, but withdrew. This will be his first MMA action in 2.5 years.
UFC Fight Night 250 main card betting odds
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, noon ET)
- Israel Adesanya -175 vs. Nassourdine Imavov +145
- Shara Magomedov -190 vs. Michael Page +160
- Sergei Pavlovich -320 vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik +250
- Said Nurmagomedov -185 vs. Vinicius Oliveira +155
- Muhammad Naimov -270 vs. Kaan Ofli +220
- Shamil Gaziev -380 vs. Thomas Petersen +275
UFC Fight Night 250 prelim betting odds
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 9 a.m. ET)
- Damir Hadzovic +275 vs. Terrance McKinney -370
- Mike Davis -140 vs. Fares Ziam +120
- Mayra Bueno Silva +185 vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius -225
- Lucas Alexander +100 vs. Bogdan Grad -120
- Hamdy Abdelwahab -110 vs. Jamal Pogues -110
