5 Arab fighters who could be UFC ‘Fight Island’ alternates in Abu Dhabi

With the UFC returning to Abu Dhabi for four events in July, here are five Arab fighters who could fill in if needed.

Hashem Arkhaga (5-0)

[autotag]Hashem Arkhaga[/autotag] vs. Ibrahim El Sawi is one of the most important title fights in the history of the region. Arkhaga mounted an incredible comeback to win the Desert Force middleweight title, improving his record to 4-0.

The MMA pioneer returned after a seven-year hiatus in 2019 to knock South Africa’s Jeremy Smith out in less than a minute. A multiple-time NAGA North American grappler, Arkhaga is a tall, cerebral fighter who has developed slick striking skills to compliment his elite grappling.

Rami Hamed (9-3)

American Top Team’s [autotag]Rami Hamed[/autotag] competed as recently as last month, when he picked up a unanimous decision win over Frank Carrillo at Titan FC 60.

The Lebanese striker has competed for both Middle-Eastern based promotions Desert Force and Brave CF, and is a former Titan FC welterweight title challenger.