UFC books Akbar Abdullaev debut fight - MMA Junkie
Akbar Abdullaev made quite the impact on Dana White's Contender Series this summer, and now he has his UFC debut set.
A former ONE Championship contender, Abdullaev (14-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will make his debut Dec. 5 vs. Mairon Santos at UFC Fight Night 295 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the matchup but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. Ag. Fight first reported the bout.
The fight will take place at lightweight, meaning both fighters will shift up a division. Abdullaev had been planning to return the week prior on Nov. 28 in Qatar. However, his featherweight opponent withdrew before the fight was announced.
Abdullaev departed ONE Championship in mid-2026 after a 5-0 stint that included five finishes, including one over then-champion Kai Tang. That bout was a title fight, but Abdullaev was ineligible to win gold as he missed weight beforehand.
On DWCS, Abdullaev thunderously knocked out Ednlison Santos with an overhand right in a mere 19 seconds.
Santos (17-1 MMA, 4-0) moves to lightweight after missing weight for a featherweight bout in December. "The Ultimate Fighter 32" featherweight winner, Santos has defeated Kaan Ofli, Francis Marshall, Sodiq Yusuff, and Muhammad Naimov thus far in the promotion.
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