UFC on ABC 9 fight week is here. After a trip to New Orleans last weekend for the excitement of UFC 318 on pay-per-view, Dana White’s promotion heads to the United Arab Emirates, specifically Abu Dhabi, for the last event on the company’s schedule before the calendar shifts to August next Friday.
This week’s card originates from Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena on Yas Island. If you’ll recall, five years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the UFC set up shop on Yas Island for its Fight Island stints from July of 2020 to January of 2021.
Live coverage of UFC on ABC 9 begins Saturday at 12 noon ET/ 9 am PT with the undercard. If you’re watching from inside the United States, these prelims are available via ESPN (linear television) and ESPN+ (streaming.)
UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes Bryce Mitchell and Jean Silva meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes at Kesaya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, FL Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages/ABACAPRESS.COM Miami MIAMI, FL United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xPXxImages/ABACAx
Main card action from UFC on ABC 9, highlighted by the main event between Robert Whittaker and Reinier de Ridder follows at 3 pm ET/ noon PT, and you won’t even need a cable plan to tune in for that portion of the show, as it’ll be accessible through your local ABC affiliate. If there are no alterations to the schedule between now and the weekend, the final version of this event will feature a full 12-fight card.
UFC on ABC 9 Featured Prelim: No. 15 Contender Bryce Mitchell vs. Said Nurmagomedov
At the top of the bill on the prelims is a bantamweight showcase matching No. 15 contender Bryce Mitchell (17-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) against unranked Said Nurmagomedov (18-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC.) All fights mentioned herein are an advertised maximum of three rounds at five minutes per round.
Bryce Mitchell comes into UFC on ABC 9 having posted a record of 2-3 in his last five fights. Back in April, he was on the receiving end of a second-round submission by way of ninja choke against 2021 Contender Series graduate Jean Silva (16-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) during UFC 314 in Miami.
Mitchell has had about three and a half months between fights after sitting out a year ahead of his return in December of 2024. Now that he’s back to a more consistent schedule in MMA, will he get back in the win column this weekend?
Meanwhile, Said Nurmagomedov will be making the walk in Abu Dhabi this Saturday at UFC on ABC 9 with a mark of 3-2 over the course of his last five appearances in the sport. On Feb. 1, he went down in defeat via unanimous decision to Vinicius Oliveira (22-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) after three rounds of action on the main card.
Much like his opponent this weekend, Nurmagomedov is also getting back to a regular schedule of fights, something that’s welcomed by his camp. Of Said Nurmagomedov’s last five scheduled fights, three have gotten postponed without a single punch thrown. How will he fare this time?
UFC on ABC 9 Co-Featured Prelim: Muslim Salikhov vs. Carlos Leal
Immediately beforehand, the co-featured undercard bout of UFC on ABC 9 takes place at 170 lbs as Muslim Salikhov (21-5 MMA, 8-4 UFC) meets up with Carlos Leal (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), an alum of the PFL. Salikhov has gone 3-2 over the course of the last five fights.
At the moment, he’s on a two-fight winning streak. Last November in Macau, he finished Song Kenan (22-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC) with a spinning wheel kick inside the first round of the fight.
An eight-month hiatus between fights can’t be easy for a competitor. How much ring rust does Muslim Salikhov have going into this one? What kind of training camp has he had? Tune in and find out the answers.
Across the way, Carlos Leal is sporting his own 3-2 record in his most recent five contests. Last time out, he stopped Alex Morono (24-12, 1 NC MMA, 13-9, 1 NC UFC) with punches during the opening round of their March 8 fight in UFC 313 in Las Vegas.
Numerically speaking, Leal has scored 13 wins by way of stoppage. Can he get another victory before the final horn?
UFC on ABC 9: Davey Grant vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
Also on the UFC on ABC 9 undercard, you’ll see a bantamweight fixture versing Davey Grant (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) with Da’Mon Blackshear (17-7-1 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC.) Grant enters this show with a 3-2 record in his past five contests. Back in December, he trekked to Tampa for a fight versus Ramon Tavares (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC), winning by way of unanimous decision after 15 minutes of action.
This is Grant’s first walk to the Octagon in 2025. On April 5, he was scheduled to face off against Daniel Santos inside the UFC Apex facility, but this fight wound up being canceled ahead of the show because of the latter encountering medical problems before even weighing-in the morning before.
Grant would, however, weigh-in successfully that Friday. He went through an entire camp with nothing to show for it this past spring, so expect him to fight with frustration on Saturday night.
In the other corner, Da’Mon Blackshear has a record of 3-2 in his five latest contests. He’s a streaky fighter of late, winning his last three after dropping two fights in a row.
Most recently, he bested Alatengheli Alateng (17-10-2 MMA, 5-3-1 UFC) by unanimous decision at the end of April in Kansas City. Saturday’s fight during the UFC on ABC 9 prelims is already his third walk to the fabled Octagon thus far in 2025. Can Blackshear add another victory to his resume?
Final Thoughts
Which prelim or prelims are you looking forward to on UFC on ABC 9 this Saturday? Let us know in the comments.