Mackenzie Dern Becomes First Woman To Win UFC Championship Title In Abu Dhabi

In a historic moment for the UFC, Mackenzie Dern became the first woman to win a UFC title in Abu Dhabi and the Middle East. She claimed the strawweight championship after defeating Virna Jandiroba at UFC 321: Aspinall vs Gane, held at Etihad Arena during Abu Dhabi Showdown Week.

The main event saw an unfortunate end when Tom Aspinall's heavyweight title defence against Ciryl Gane was declared a no-contest. An accidental eye poke in the first round left Aspinall unable to continue, halting his first title defence prematurely.

Umar Nurmagomedov showcased his skills in the bantamweight division by defeating Mario Bautista through a unanimous decision. This victory brings him closer to a potential title shot. Meanwhile, Alexander Volkov emerged victorious over Jailton Almeida in a closely contested heavyweight bout decided by split decision.

Azamat Murzakanov delivered a stunning knockout against Aleksandar Rakic with a powerful right hand, ending their fight at 3:11 of the first round. In another heavyweight clash, Egypt’s Hamdy Abdelwahab impressed fans by winning against Chris Barnett via unanimous decision.

Quillan Salkeld earned the "Performance of the Night" bonus with an impressive head-kick knockout against Nasrat Haqparast. Walter Walker also received this bonus for achieving his fourth consecutive win via foot lock submission, this time against Louie Sutherland.

The "Fight of the Night" award went to Ludovit Klein and Mateusz Rebecki after an intense three-round battle. Both fighters were visibly exhausted — Rebecki was bloodied, and Klein struggled due to an ankle injury — but Klein ultimately secured the win.

With inputs from WAM