Fan favorite middleweight JunYong Park, nicknamed “The Iron Turtle,” will make his return to the Octagon at UFC Saudi Arabia.
The UFC Saudi Arabia card takes place on Saturday, December 5, at ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and is set to be headlined by a five-round middleweight matchup between strikers Israel Adesanya and Shara Magomedov.
JunYong Park vs. Marco Tulio Added to UFC Saudi Arabia
Per AG Fight, Park will fight Marco Tulio at UFC Saudi Arabia. Heavy.com’s Marcel Dorff has confirmed the bout will take place at UFC Saudi Arabia.
JunYong Park Is a UFC Fan Favorite
The 35-year-old Park first joined the UFC in 2019, and since then he has racked up a 9-4 record inside the Octagon, with notable wins over Ismail Naurdiev, Brad Tavares, and Marc-Andre Barriault.
Park has not competed yet in 2026, as his last fight was a unanimous decision defeat to Ikram Aliskerov at UFC 321 in October 2025.
Despite that loss, Park is still a very solid fighter and a tough out at 185 lbs, as he is a durable fighter with a really good ground game and passable striking.
🇰🇷Jun Yong Park caps off his four-fight win streak with a celebratory dance! Who should he face next after #UFCVegas77?
In this matchup at UFC Saudi Arabia, Park will take on Tulio, the Brazilian knockout artist who is 2-2 in the UFC since joining the organization in 2025 after two wins on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn his UFC contract.
Tulio won his first two UFC fights by knockout over Ihor Potieria and Tresean Gore, but he has fallen on hard times as of late with back-to-back losses against Christian Leroy Duncan and Roman Kopylov.
Despite those two recent defeats, however, Tulio is not to be underestimated, as he is a powerful knockout artist who just needs to land one big punch, and he can put his opponents out cold.
Overall, Park vs. Tulio should be a great fight, and one that is a true clash of styles, as Park will surely look to take the fight to the ground while Tulio will try to keep it standing. Therefore, the winner will likely be the fighter who can take the bout into their own realm and keep it there.
Fan Favorite ‘The Iron Turtle’ Returns at UFC Saudi Arabia