Mohammed Yahya to Make History as First Emirati UFC Fighter

Emirati mixed martial artist Mohammed Yahya will make his UFC debut next month, becoming the first fighter from the country to compete in the world's premier MMA promotion.

Mohammed Yahya, a 29-year-old mixed martial artist from Dubai, has signed with the UFC and will make his debut at UFC 294 on October 21 at Etihad Arena. Yahya is the UAE Warriors Arabian champion at lightweight and is scheduled to face American Trevor Peek, although the UFC has yet to confirm the bout.

UFC 294 will feature a rematch between the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev and the former champion Charles Oliveira. The two fighters previously met at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi last October, where Makhachev won by second-round submission.

Posting a video on Instagram having signed the UFC contract, Yahya said: “Alhamdulillah, it’s been a long road. I’ve signed with the UFC. It’s been a dream since I was 14 and I just got to show that dreams do come true, but with a lot of hard work.

“Now it’s time not to win, but to be out on the best performance I’ve ever had. This fight is not just for the UAE but for the whole Arab region."