Israel Adesanya will fight Shara Magomedov in the main event of UFC Saudi Arabia on Saturday, Dec. 5, 2026, at the anb Arena in Riyadh, with Ian Machado Garry against Yaroslav Amosov in the co-main event. According to theScore, the UFC announced both fights during its UFC Fight Night 293 broadcast on Saturday, Nov. 7.
What was announced
The main event is a five-round middleweight bout between Israel Adesanya and Sharabutdin "Shara" Magomedov. The co-main event is a five-round welterweight fight between Ian Machado Garry and Yaroslav Amosov, theScore reports. It will be the first UFC event in Riyadh since February 2025, according to the same outlet. Start times have not been announced in the sources we reviewed.
Pugna MMA lists the card as UFC Fight Night 295. Other bouts already in our database include Islam Dulatov against Levan Chokheli at welterweight, unbeaten Akbar Abdullaev (27-0) against Mairon Santos at lightweight, and Ion Cuțelaba against Magomed Tuchalov at light heavyweight.
Adesanya looks to end a losing run
Adesanya is 24-6 and, according to theScore, is 37 years old and on a four-fight losing streak. Our database shows the former two-time middleweight champion lost the title to Sean Strickland by decision at UFC 293 in September 2023, then lost to Dricus Du Plessis by fourth-round submission in their UFC 305 title fight in August 2024. He was stopped in the second round by Nassourdine Imavov in Riyadh in February 2025 and by Joe Pyfer in March 2026. He is ranked No. 10 at middleweight in our data.
Magomedov is 17-1, 32 years old and on a two-fight winning streak, per theScore. After his only loss, a decision against Michael Page in February 2025, he beat Marc-André Barriault and Michel Pereira by unanimous decision (fight analysis).
Machado Garry returns against a submission specialist
Machado Garry is 17-2 and ranked No. 2 at welterweight in our database. He fights for the first time since losing a five-round unanimous decision to Islam Makhachev in a title fight at UFC 330 on Aug. 15, 2026. Before that, he beat Belal Muhammad by decision in November 2025.
Amosov, the former Bellator welterweight champion, arrives at 30-1. theScore describes him as on a three-fight winning streak with all three wins by submission, which matches our records: Curtis Millender, Neil Magny and Joel Álvarez. His only loss came by knockout against Jason Jackson at Bellator 301 in November 2023.
What comes next
The fighters have a little under a month to prepare. The UFC has not announced further changes to the card in the sources we reviewed, and Pugna MMA will update the UFC Fight Night 295 card as bouts are confirmed.
Pick the winners of Adesanya vs. Magomedov and the rest of the card in the free, no-money prediction game in the Pugna MMA app, and follow the results live, round by round.
Sources
This article was generated with AI and may contain errors.