Abu Dhabi Showdown Week | Things to do before UFC fight night
UFC stars will meet fans at Yas Mall and Yas Bay, with public workouts, a live Q&A and free fan experiences running throughout the week.
If you’re a fight fanatic, there’s more to Abu Dhabi Showdown Week than fight night. Running till 25 October, the week includes chances to meet some of the fighters, watch championship contenders train live and catch up with former champions before UFC 333 takes place at Etihad Arena.
Here are some of the things to check out.
Meet UFC fighters at Yas Mall and Yas Bay
You can meet several UFC names at two public appearances this week. Former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, featherweight contender Jean Silva and Moroccan featherweight Marwan Rahiki will be at Yas Mall on Wednesday, 21 October, at 7pm. On Friday, 23 October, Song Yadong, Mauricio Ruffy and Sean Sharaf will meet fans at Yas Bay Waterfront, also at 7pm.
Watch championship fighters train live
The open workouts on Wednesday, 21 October, are worth catching if you want to see the fighters up close before fight night. Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, contender Movsar Evloev, bantamweight champion Petr Yan and contender Merab Dvalishvili will take to the stage at Yas Mall Town Centre from 5pm to 7pm.
Catch a live Q&A with former champion Aljamain Sterling
On Friday, 23 October, former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Marwan Rahiki will take part in a live Q&A at Etihad Arena from 4pm to 6.30pm. They’ll discuss their careers, talk about the UFC 333 card, and interact with fans before the ceremonial weigh-ins, where the fighters will face off ahead of Saturday’s event.
Try the free UFC Fan Experience
You don’t need a fight ticket to get involved in some of the week's activities. The free UFC Fan Experience will run at Yas Mall from 19 to 25 October and Yas Bay Waterfront from 21 to 25 October, with interactive challenges, activities, and scheduled fighter appearances.
Catch Power Slap 25 at Space42 Arena
If you’re interested in combat sports beyond the UFC, Power Slap 25 takes place at Space42 Arena on Friday, 23 October. The card features a super heavyweight title rematch between Dayne “Da Hawaiian Hitman” Viernes and Vasilii “Dumpling” Kamotskii, who last met in Abu Dhabi in 2025, when Viernes won by majority decision.
Get your tickets here.
UFC 333 takes over Etihad Arena
The main event is on Saturday, 24 October, when Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against the undefeated Evloev. Yan and Dvalishvili will also meet in a bantamweight title trilogy bout.
More info here
