The <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/ufc/" target="_blank">UFC’s</a> next championship event in Abu Dhabi will take place in October, organisers confirmed on Friday. The world’s leading <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/tags/mma/" target="_blank">mixed martial arts</a> promotion will stage UFC 308 at Etihad Arena on October 26, where at least one title bout will feature on the card. The pay-per-view event will represent the second UFC show in the capital this year, with a Fight Night added to the calendar for August 3. UFC 308, which forms part of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, marks the first numbered event of the <a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/combat-sports/2024/03/06/abu-dhabi-will-host-two-ufc-events-in-2024-with-fight-night-added-to-schedule/" target="_blank">partnership extension signed last October </a>between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and the UFC. “We are thrilled to be hosting another exhilarating UFC event in Abu Dhabi,” Saleh Al Geziry, director general for tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said in a statement. “Over the past five years, the UAE capital has staged unforgettable fights and witnessed the rise of champions, leaving an everlasting memory for fans around the region and the world. “I personally cannot wait to experience UFC 308 firsthand, which further underlines Abu Dhabi's status as the international fight capital.” UFC 308, set to be the 20th UFC event hosted by the emirate, will headline Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, a seven-day series of city-wide events. While the card is yet to be announced, organisers said on Friday that VIP Experience packages will soon be available via <i>On Location</i>, the UFC’s Official VIP Experience provider. Those packages include “exclusive access with an official ticket package that can feature premium seating, VIP access to weigh-ins, all-inclusive hospitality, meet-and-greets with UFC athletes and more”. The UFC’s most recent visit to Abu Dhabi was last October, with UFC 294 headlined by<a href="https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/combat-sports/2023/10/22/makhachev-win-over-volkanovski-at-ufc-294-proves-he-is-best-mma-fighter-in-world/" target="_blank"> lightweight champion Islam Makhachev’s knockout victory against Alexander Volkanovski.</a> The UFC will stage three events in the Gulf this year, with the promotion holding an inaugural Fight Night in Riyadh on June 22 – part of the expanded agreement between UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi. The deal, which runs until 2028, guarantees one numbered UFC event to be held in the capital each year, with additional Fight Nights to take place “across the Mena region”.
