Adesanya Faces Magomedov in Middleweight Battle in Saudi Arabia

Israel Adesanya will fight Shara Magomedov in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card scheduled for December 5 in Saudi Arabia. The bout serves as the centerpiece of the event, pitting the former middleweight champion against a fighter who has sought this matchup for years.

The primary driver of this booking is Magomedov’s persistent requests to face Adesanya. Known in the promotion as "Shara Bullet," Magomedov publicly challenged Adesanya in 2024 and repeated the call in June. Adesanya had previously dismissed the proposed fight, but the two are now confirmed to share the Octagon.

Adesanya enters the fight with a record of four consecutive losses. His most recent three defeats all came by stoppage. The former champion’s latest appearance took place in March in Seattle, where Joe Pyfer knocked him out. This result extended a difficult stretch for the two-time title holder.

Magomedov approaches the bout with a different recent trajectory. He has won six of his last seven fights in the UFC. His most recent victories came over Michel Pereira and Marc-Andre Barriault. These wins position him to challenge the former champion he first targeted in 2024.

The co-main event features Ian Machado Garry fighting Yaroslav Amosov in a five-round welterweight contest. Garry recently lost a title fight against UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. He performed well in that bout but failed to secure the belt. Amosov, a former Bellator welterweight champion, remains undefeated in the UFC. His last Octagon appearance ended in a submission victory over Joel Alvarez.

Amosov gained additional attention outside of competition for recovering his Bellator championship belt from the rubble of his mother’s home. He rescued the title while helping to defend Ukraine against Russia. This background adds another layer to his upcoming five-round fight against Garry.