The Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi is preparing to erect the UFC octagon once again, as on Saturday, July 25, we’re dealing with another Fight Night headlined by the former champ Magomed Ankalaev and his knockout-welcoming opponent, Bogdan Guskov, so let’s get into our UFC Abu Dhabi 2026 best bets.
The Ov’s and Ev’s of the MMA world have been a domineering force, especially on the mat. So, you know precisely what to expect when the UFC reaches UAE waters (their home away from home): A lot of UFC betting juice and plenty of lopsided results. This, however, doesn’t deter us from the task at hand.
- Bet on Dulatov winning by KO/TKO at 1.60 odds at ibet.
- Add Tuchalov to win & under 1.5 rounds at 1.57 at ibet.
- Boost your bankroll with our competitive UFC odds at the ibet sportsbook!
After UFC Oklahoma, I’m back with another selection of my full card best bets, including UFC Abu Dhabi 2026 predictions and analysis of the latest UFC odds. Let’s get straight into it.
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UFC Abu Dhabi 2026 Best Bets
Islam Dulatov 1.09 (-1111) vs. Wellington Turman 6.15 (+515)
The Stylistic Matchup: A rising prospect with KO power faces a fading veteran that’s lost three straight UFC bouts.
Islam Dulatov’s UFC debut went exactly how we expected last summer, as the kickboxing ace from Chechnya recorded his seventh overall knockout win to extend his pro record to 11-1.
This weekend, the rising star who’s actually a part-time model will face an opponent who hasn’t been so pretty in the octagon, Wellington Turman. The Brazilian, with a 3-6 UFC record, is hanging onto a contract with the company, but having not been booked since 2023, we already know what his position with the promotion is about.
This fight reads as your typical ‘lamb to the slaughter’ matchmaking. On one hand, we have a fast, athletic, 27-year-old, all-action finisher with 10% body fat in Dulatov. Opposite him, a failed prospect who is 30 years old, holding a lot of ring rust with so much time on the sidelines and an ugly record.
Dulatov vs. Turman Prediction
We don’t need to go deep on this one. Dulatov is a -1111 favourite, and it’s not the female fans of Calvin Klein pumping those betting lines. The question isn’t ‘if’ but ‘how’ the Russian will get the job done in Abu Dhabi.
Despite a desirable ground game that’s seen him collect five submission wins, Dulatov will likely keep BJJ to the back of his mind versus a guy in Turman that can scramble. As a result, this fight will likely stay on the feet up until the underdog gets crushed with too much punishment.
The pick is Dulatov. The method is knockout, and to my delight, we can grab a respectable set of KO odds at 1.60 [-167] for this probable outcome.
Dulatov vs. Turman Best Bet: Dulatov by KO/TKO at 1.60 [-167]
Santiago Ponzinibbio 4.05 (+305) vs. Sam Patterson 1.20 (-500)
The Stylistic Matchup: A talented British prospect with knockout and submission threats hopes to return to the win column versus a well-respected welterweight.
Argentina may have lost the World Cup final, but their fellow countryman Santiago Ponzinibbio is going to double that pain when he loses in the octagon this weekend. No, but jokes aside, at 39 years old, it’s difficult to trust the Argentine who’s lost six fights since 2021 with just three wins during that period.
Sam Patterson did provide an absolute stinker against Michael ‘Venom’ Page last time out. However, he entered that bout on a four-fight finishing streak that included two knockouts and two submissions. He’s lengthy, knows how to strike at range, and has won 12 of his 14 pro career bouts inside the distance.
Ponzinibbio vs. Patterson Prediction
Ponzinibbio has fought a much higher level of competition, and although he’s not as trustworthy as in past times, he’ll certainly have that veteran edge on Saturday. Does that mean he’s going to pull off an upset? No, of course not, but the disrespect for his ability to stay in the fight isn’t really supported with cold, hard facts.
Spanning a UFC career of 13 years, Ponzinibbio has been finished in the first round just once! In fact, since 2017, not a single fight of his – win or lose – has ended before the third round. While I do believe Patterson is the A-side, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this fight go longer than the UFC odds on totals suggest.
It took Kevin Holland and Daniel Rodriguez three rounds before they found the kill shot on Ponz. Backing a similar occurrence here means that we can get plus-money on the over 1.5 rounds… Book it!
Ponzinibbio vs. Patterson Best Bet: Over 1.5 Rounds at 2.01 [+101]
Brendson Ribeiro 5.55 (+455) vs. Magomed Tuchalov 1.11 (-909)
The Stylistic Matchup: An unbeaten Russian problem faces a Brazilian punching bag on the early Fight Pass prelims.
How does Brendson Ribeiro still have a job? Well, that’s a question for Sean Shelby, Mick Maynard, or Hunter Campbell. But if you want my opinion, the poor guy is being used to elevate fighters that the promotion sees long-term value in.
A 2-5 UFC record obtained in two years is bad enough. Now factor in that four of those five losses resulted in round-one knockouts or submissions, and we’re just seeing nothing but frailty.
Worse still, it doesn’t get any better for Ribeiro. Following a three-fight stoppage losing skid to Murzakanov, Oumar Sy, and Yakhyaev, he’s now pitted against another debuting prospect with serious finishing potential in Magomed Tuchalov.
Ribeiro vs. Tuchalov Prediction
Tuchalov is the second biggest favourite on the UFC Abu Dhabi card. Much like Dulatov, the top favourite, we aren’t predicting if but how.
Let’s avoid the juice again by backing the Russian fighting out of Abu Dhabi to get the crowd hyped with an early stoppage. Knockout or submission, it doesn’t matter; we’ll take the 7-0 prospect to continue his finishing ways and do so in under 1.5 rounds.
Ribeiro vs. Tuchalov Best Bet: Tuchalov & Under 1.5 at 1.57 [-175]
UFC Abu Dhabi 2026 Best Bets Information
- Date & Time: Saturday, July 25, 2026 – 15:00 CET
- Location: Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE
- How to Watch: UFC Fight Pass & Paramount+
- Scheduled Fights: 13
- Main Event Bout: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Bogdan Guskov
- Co-Main Event Bout: Steve Erceg vs. Ramazan Temirov
- Biggest UFC Abu Dhabi Betting Favourite: Islam Dulatov at 1.09 [-1111]
