The UFC and Abu Dhabi go back sixteen years. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev all fought here, “Fight Island” was born here during the pandemic, and every year the city hosts a numbered event with a title fight. The latest, UFC 333, took place on 24 October 2026.
Below is everything you need to get to a UFC night from Dubai or Abu Dhabi: what the latest card looked like, ticket categories and prices, entry rules, the drive, and my advice on how not to spend half the night looking for a taxi.
Checked in October 2026. The next Abu Dhabi date hadn’t been announced when I updated this post; watch the UFC and Etihad Arena sites.
UFC 333: the October 2026 card
UFC 333 was held on Saturday 24 October at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, with two title fights:
- Main event, featherweight: champion Alexander Volkanovski (28-4) against Movsar Evloev (20-0).
- Co-main event, bantamweight: champion Petr Yan against Merab Dvalishvili. Their third meeting: Yan won the belt back at UFC 323 in December 2025, leaving the series at one win each.
Abu Dhabi is familiar ground for Volkanovski: he beat Max Holloway here at UFC 251 in 2020 and lost to Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October 2023.
The rest of the card as announced in August included Alexander Volkov vs Rizvan Kuniev, Nikita Krylov vs Abdul-Rakhman Yakhyaev, Dominick Reyes vs Azamat Murzakanov, Lone’er Kavanagh vs Ramazan Temirov, Arnold Allen vs Aaron Pico, Abus Magomedov vs Cam Rowston and Grant Dawson vs Nurullo Aliev. Cards change until fight night, so the UFC site has the final line-up and results.
Tickets: categories and prices
Official tickets are sold by Etihad Arena and Ticketmaster.ae. For UFC 333 sales opened on 17 August 2026, and the event page on the arena site listed eight categories, prices including VAT:
| Category | Price, AED |
|---|---|
| 1 | 32,000 |
| 2 | 25,000 |
| 3 | 18,000 |
| 4 | 14,735 |
| 5 | 7,893.75 |
| 6 | 4,210 |
| 7 | 2,420 |
| 8 | 1,368 |
Those were the prices on 11 October 2026; use them as a guide to the range, since each card is priced separately and availability changes daily. VIP packages with lounge access and fighter meet-and-greets are sold by the official UFC partner On Location through UFCVIP.com.
What to know before you buy:
- Tickets are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. One ticket, one entry: no leaving and coming back.
- Resellers. The arena warns that tickets resold above face value can be withdrawn, and tickets bought from unauthorised sellers, including Viagogo and Dubizzle, can be cancelled.
- Wheelchair spaces are a separate category booked through the arena’s concierge service.
Etihad Arena entry rules
- Children. No age limit. Under-twos go free if they sit on a lap all evening. Under-16s only with an adult aged 21 or over.
- Bags. No larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm, and there’s no left-luggage. Strollers aren’t allowed inside, but the arena has space to store them.
- Not allowed: professional cameras and flags of any country, national flags included.
- Paying inside is contactless only.
- Your ticket: download it to your phone in advance; it’s scanned at the turnstile.
- Behaviour. The arena asks guests to respect UAE customs and culture: clothing appropriate for a public place and calm behaviour in the stands.
Check door and start times a day or two before: a numbered event runs for several hours, and the main event comes at the very end of the night.
Yas Island from above. The first UFC event in the Middle East was held here in 2010, at a temporary arena next to Ferrari World. Today the fights are at Etihad Arena in Yas Bay. Photo: Dapaan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Getting there from Dubai and back
Etihad Arena is on Yas Island, on the side of Abu Dhabi closest to Dubai. From Dubai you drive down the E11; journey time depends on where you start and on traffic, so leave with time to spare.
The most common mistake is not planning the ride back. The main event finishes late, and when an 18,000-seat arena empties, everyone looks for a taxi at once. If you’re staying in Dubai, arrange a car to wait for you at an agreed spot. On my transfers page a Dubai to Abu Dhabi ride is 120 dollars one way.
The other option is to stay the night in Abu Dhabi. Then you can give Sunday to the city: the Grand Mosque, the Louvre and Qasr Al Watan in one day, or my Abu Dhabi day tour.
A little history: from UFC 112 to Fight Island
- 2010. UFC 112 took place on 10 April at an open-air arena built next to Ferrari World and taken down a week later. It was the first UFC event in the Middle East and the first held outdoors, with more than 11,000 spectators. In the main event Anderson Silva defended his title against Demian Maia.
- 2019. Abu Dhabi and the UFC signed an official partnership. Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his title here more than once.
- 2020. During the pandemic Abu Dhabi hosted three series of “Fight Island” events on Yas Island.
- 2021. Etihad Arena opened. Its first events were UFC cards in January 2021, including UFC 257 with the Poirier vs McGregor rematch.
- 2022–2025. A numbered event every year: UFC 280 with Oliveira and Makhachev, UFC 294, UFC 308, UFC 321.
- Until 2028. In October 2023 the partnership was extended: a numbered event with a title fight in Abu Dhabi every year. By then the region had hosted 18 UFC events and nine title fights under the first contract.
Each event comes with Abu Dhabi Showdown Week: a week of fan events, fighter appearances and entertainment. The schedule appears on the arena site closer to the date.
How I can help
I help people get to the UFC in Abu Dhabi: choosing tickets in the right category, arranging a transfer from your hotel in Dubai or Abu Dhabi and back, booking dinner before the fights and meeting you at the entrance if needed. If you’re flying in for a few days, I’ll add a programme: an Abu Dhabi day or a drive in a single-seater on the Formula 1 circuit on the same Yas Island.
The rest of the season’s listings are on the UAE events page and in my UAE sports events calendar for 2026–2027.
Sources: the UFC 333 page on the Etihad Arena site, Gulf News, The National, Abu Dhabi Media Office, Wikipedia (UFC 112, Etihad Arena). Checked 11 October 2026; reframed after UFC 333 on 25 October 2026.
Practical answers
Frequently asked questions
When is the next UFC event in Abu Dhabi?
The latest numbered event, UFC 333, took place on 24 October 2026 at Etihad Arena. Under the partnership extended to 2028, Abu Dhabi hosts a numbered event with a title fight every year; the next date will be on the UFC and Etihad Arena sites once announced.
How much are UFC tickets in Abu Dhabi?
For UFC 333 the Etihad Arena site listed categories from 1,368 AED (category 8) to 32,000 AED (category 1), including VAT. VIP packages are sold by the official UFC partner On Location. Prices depend on the card and availability.
Can I take a child to a UFC event?
Yes, there is no age limit. Under-twos enter without a ticket if they sit on an adult's lap all evening. Spectators under 16 must be with an adult aged 21 or over.
What can't I bring into Etihad Arena?
Professional cameras, bags larger than 30 × 30 × 15 cm and flags of any country. There is no left-luggage. Payment inside the arena is contactless only.
How do I get to the UFC from Dubai?
By car or transfer: Etihad Arena is on Yas Island, on the Dubai side of Abu Dhabi. Arrange your ride back in advance, because taxis are hard to find right after the main event.
Can you help with UFC tickets and transfers?
Yes. Tell me how many of you there are and which category you're interested in, and I'll help with tickets, a transfer from your hotel and back, and dinner before the fights.
