In his first reign as UFC middleweight champion, Adesanya defended his title five times. He was able to recapture the belt by knocking out longtime rival Alex Pereira, but went on to lose back-to-back title fights to Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.

MMAMania.com has confirmed with multiple sources that French Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight fighter Fares Ziam will collide with Mike Davis at UFC Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1, 2025, inside The Venue in Riyadh,

Adesanya and Imavov square off in the UFC Saudi Arabia main event on February 1st in Riyadh. The card marks the promotion’s return to the kingdom after hosting a UFC Fight Night event in June, featuring another middleweight headliner between Robert Whittaker and Ikram Aliskerov.

Israel Adesanya’s return date, opponent and event are official. The former UFC middleweight champion will headline UFC Saudi Arabia on February 1.

The UFC makes its second visit to Saudi Arabia early in the 2025 calendar with UFC Fight Night 250, which features Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov in the main event. The octagon will touch down in the budding combat sports region with a strong lineup,

Israel Adesanya vs. Nassourdine Imavov will headline UFC Saudi Arabia as the full card has been announced. The UFC will hold their second event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on February 1. Adesanya enters the bout with two consecutive defeats.

The UFC unveiled the official fight poster for UFC Saudi Arabia, featuring Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Shara Bullet, and Michael "Venom" Page.