The UFC revealed last week that “Fight Island” is Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which will host four events in July.
Although the location being in Abu Dhabi has come as a disappointment to most, the news is massive for the Middle East. The previously has visited Abu Dhabi on three occasions, most recently UFC 242 last September, when lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his title against Dustin Poirier in the main event.
Despite UFC 242’s success, one common complaint from fans in the Middle East was that the UFC didn’t sign any fighters from the region, many whom fans have been watching headline regional cards since 2012.
UFC 242 included many fighters of Arab descent such as Palestinian-American Belal Muhammad, Moroccan-German Ottman Azaitar, and Algerian-French fighters Nordine Taleb and and Fares Ziam, but none of these fighters were born and bred in the region and largely had not competed in the Middle East previously.
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However, that now has changed. Mounir Lazzez, a Tunisian-born welterweight who trains out of Team Nogueira in Dubai, became the first Arab-based fighter to ever sign with the UFC. He will debut against Abdul Razak Alhassan on July 15.
So with Lazzez’s signing, this could potentially open the door for more Arab fighters to get their opportunity. After all, it will certainly be difficult for the UFC to find a late replacement to fly halfway across the world in time, making it a big possibility that an Arab-based fighter gets the call.
With that in mind, here are five Arab fighters who could make the UFC jump in July:
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Jarrah Al-Selawe (14-3)
Jordan’s [autotag]Jarrah Al-Selawe[/autotag] is widely considered the No. 1 fighter in the Middle East. The current Brave CF welterweight champion and former Desert Force 170-pound champion has won eight of his last nine fights.
Although originally a kickboxer for the Jordanian national team, the 27-year-old has grown into a well-rounded mixed martial artist, with five of his pro wins coming by submission. He boasts arguably the strongest resume out of any fighter in the region with wins over tough competition across the board.