On July 25, the UFC goes to Abu Dhabi, UAE, for a Fight Night in the Etihad Arena. Promotional newcomer Abdul Hussein will take on Muin Gafurov in the bantamweight division.
Multiple sources have confirmed the booking to Heavy.com after Gafurov’s management announced the fight on Instagram. Hussein puts his eight-fight winning streak on the line against Gafurov, who is fighting his sixth fight for the promotion. The main event of the evening is a light-heavyweight clash between former champion Magomed Ankalaev and Khalil Rountree Jr.
Abdul Hussein Is An Absolute Finisher In The Cage
Abdul Hussein was born in Lebanon but represents Finland, where he trains and lives. The talented fighter was undefeated as an amateur, winning the IMMAF tournaments in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he also made the transition to the professionals. Hussein impressed with four finishes in his first four fights for the Finish Cage MMA organisation. After that fourth win, he signed with the Brave CF promotion. In his debut for Brave CF, he suffered his first loss against Nawras Abzakh.
Hussein was able to bounce back with a solid win against Sylvester Chipfumbu and two ninja choke submissions in the first round. Hussein decided to drop down to flyweight, but his debut in the new weight class got put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2021, he fought in the new weight class against undefeated Muhammad Mokaev. Hussein lost the fight by unanimous decision. He left Brave CF, went back to the bantamweight division, and won two fights at other promotions before signing with UAE Warriors. Hussein made a name for himself there with five finishes in five fights.
Despite winning all his fights, he didn’t fight for the title. At the end of last year, he fought for the Ice Cage title against UFC veteran Tyson Nam. Hussein knocked out Nam in the first round and won his first professional title. He was selected this year as one of the ten participants for the new Ultimate Fighter season. Just like Rodrigo Vera (who won his UFC debut last weekend in Macau), he wasn’t chosen but instead got signed directly to the UFC. He will make his debut now against Muin Gafurov.
Losing Is Not An Option For Gafurov In Abu Dhabi
Muin Gafurov started his professional career in 2013 and was seen as a big talent early on in his career. Gafurov put a 9-0 record together in his first two years as a professional and was signed to ONE Championship. The Tajik fighter impressed immediately during his debut by finishing Toni Tauru via knockout in the third round. Gafurov then lost two fights in a row and went back to the regional scene in Tajikistan. After three wins plus a lone win in the ACB promotion, Gafurov returned to ONE Championship. Gafurov beat Leandro Issa in the first round by knockout and got the opportunity to sign with the UFC.
Gafurov signed the contract during a special press conference in Tajikistan, but unfortunately for him, ONE Championship didn’t permit him because he was still under contract. After one more fight and loss, he left the promotion, but the UFC deal was off the table. In 2021, Gafurov lost on the Dana White’s Contender Series against Chad Anheliger and wasn’t signed to the UFC. The Tajik fighter signed with LFA, and after spectacular finishes over Herbeth Sousa and Diego Silva for the title, Gafurov finally signed a deal with the UFC in 2023. Starting with two losses in the UFC, Gafurov knew he needed a win in 2024 against KyungHo Kang.
He fought a good fight and won his first fight in the UFC. But by far his biggest win came in his fourth fight for the promotion. As a big underdog, he was able to beat the undefeated Rinya Nakamura via unanimous decision. But a recent loss and weight miss against Jakub Wikłacz puts Gafurov in danger again of being cut by the UFC. He needs to win against newcomer Abdul Hussein.
UFC Abu Dhabi – July 25
- Magomed Ankalaev vs. Khalil Rountree Jr.
- Umar Nurmagomedov vs. David Martínez
- Rizvan Kuniev vs. Tyrell Fortune
- Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
- Valter Walker vs. Thomas Petersen
- Ismael Bonfim vs. Axel Sola
- Islam Dulatov vs. Wellington Turman
- Brendson Ribeiro vs. Magomed Tuchalov
- Abdul Hussein vs. Muin Gafurov
- Magomedrasul Gasanov vs. Abubakar Vagaev
Highly Touted Prospect Makes UFC Debut in Abu Dhabi