Usman Nurmagomedov after winning his rematch against Paul Hughes. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Usman Nurmagomedov after winning his rematch against Paul Hughes. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Usman Nurmagomedov after winning his rematch against Paul Hughes. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Usman Nurmagomedov after winning his rematch against Paul Hughes. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Usman Nurmagomedov returns to Dubai to defend PFL title against dangerous underdog Alfie Davis


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PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov will defend his title against England's Alfie Davis in Dubai next February.

The return of unbeaten champion Nurmagomedov (20-0, 1 no contest) will headline the third huge event staged in the emirate by the PFL on Saturday, February 7, at Coca-Cola Arena.

His challenger at PFL: Road to Dubai will be England's Davis, known as 'the Axe Man', who has amassed a 20-5-1 record and earned his shot by winning the 2025 PFL Lightweight World Tournament.

“PFL: Road to Dubai is set to be a spectacular event, and we can’t wait for what’s to come at the Coca-Cola Arena on 7 February,” said PFL CEO John Martin.

“Usman Nurmagomedov is an undefeated and dominant superstar who will mark his third appearance as the headliner in Dubai, but this time a fresh challenge awaits him in the opposite corner.

“Alfie Davis continually defies the odds, and will look to do it once more on the biggest stage. Get your tickets now, we will make this the biggest card in Dubai to date.”

Nurmagomedov is coming off back-to-back wins in historic battles against Ireland’s Paul Hughes as he showcased elite MMA skills across 10 rounds, establishing himself as the division's undisputed leader.

For his victory in their October rematch, Usman also had a partisan crowd backing him at a packed Coca-Cola Arena which included his father, Abubaker.

‘PFL: Road to Dubai’. Supplied
‘PFL: Road to Dubai’. Supplied

“Amazing feeling. I feel how you support me, how you support our team,” Usman said to the Dubai crowd after claiming a unanimous decision. “I won this belt in front of my father. I'm so happy, and I dedicate this fight to him.

“We gave the Middle East, and Dubai in particular, a very big night, and I'm so happy for that.”

Undefeated in the sport and training under the guidance of his cousin, the UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, Usman is arguably at the peak of his powers and will start as a healthy favourite.

Undeterred by his underdog label, England’s Davis soared through the PFL Lightweight World Tournament in 2025, upsetting the favoured fighter in all three of his bouts to earn the title and land $500,000 in prize money.

In the final, Davis defeated Usman’s teammate Gadzhi Rabadanov and put their camp on notice that he is not to be underestimated.

Backed by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC), the card further cements the UAE's reputation for elite MMA.

“It is of great significance that we get to stage such high-profile athletes in Dubai,” said Eisa Sharif, Director of Events Department at the DSC.

“Not only does it get Dubai the attention of being among the top sports destinations, but also gives us the belief that we can aspire for much greater heights.”

Fans can register here until 12pm on Friday, November 21, for the presale to exclusively buy tickets, and will be granted early access for 72 hours.

General sale will then be available here from 12pm on Monday, November 24.

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

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Director: Laila Abbas

Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum

Rating: 4/5

Men's football draw

Group A: UAE, Spain, South Africa, Jamaica

Group B: Bangladesh, Serbia, Korea

Group C: Bharat, Denmark, Kenya, USA

Group D: Oman, Austria, Rwanda

Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach

Stars: Nicole Kidman, Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie 

Four out of five stars 

The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm

Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto

Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km

Price: from Dh547,600

On sale: now 

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz

Rating: 5/5

Gulf Under 19s final

Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B

Mane points for safe home colouring
  • Natural and grey hair takes colour differently than chemically treated hair
  • Taking hair from a dark to a light colour should involve a slow transition through warmer stages of colour
  • When choosing a colour (especially a lighter tone), allow for a natural lift of warmth
  • Most modern hair colours are technique-based, in that they require a confident hand and taught skills
  • If you decide to be brave and go for it, seek professional advice and use a semi-permanent colour
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
 
Started: 2021
 
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
 
Based: Tunisia 
 
Sector: Water technology 
 
Number of staff: 22 
 
Investment raised: $4 million 
Tamkeen's offering
  • Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
  • Option 2: 50% across three years
  • Option 3: 30% across five years 
Company%20profile
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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

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Uefa Nations League: How it works

The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.

The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.

Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.

AndhaDhun

Director: Sriram Raghavan

Producer: Matchbox Pictures, Viacom18

Cast: Ayushmann Khurrana, Tabu, Radhika Apte, Anil Dhawan

Rating: 3.5/5

The specs: 2018 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy

Price, base / as tested Dh97,600
Engine 1,745cc Milwaukee-Eight v-twin engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 78hp @ 5,250rpm
Torque 145Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.0L / 100km (estimate)

Pari

Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment

Director: Prosit Roy

Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani

Three stars

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204-cylinder%202.0L%20TSI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dual%20clutch%207-speed%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320HP%20%2F%20235kW%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20400Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Efrom%20%2449%2C709%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

THE SPECS

Touareg Highline

Engine: 3.0-litre, V6

Transmission: 8-speed automatic

Power: 340hp

Torque: 450Nm

Price: Dh239,312

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Updated: November 20, 2025, 12:55 PM