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Sport

Matt Erickson

UFC on ABC 7: How to watch Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov, start time, Abu Dhabi fight card, odds, more

UFC UFC on ABC 7 Cory Sandhagen Umar Nurmagomedov Michal Oleksiejczuk ESPN Marlon Vera Abu Dhabi Jordan Vucenic Loopy Godinez

The UFC’s is back in Abu Dhabi with a nationally televised event.

Here’s how to watch UFC on ABC 7 with bantamweight standouts at the top of the card on Yas Island.

Broadcast and streaming info

Jon Anik, Laura Sanko, Daniel Cormier | UFC 293 commentary team

UFC on ABC 7 has a main card that begins at 3 p.m. ET on ABC. The preliminary card airs on ESPN2 at noon ET. ESPN+ subscribers can stream both there, as well.

Stay tuned for more broadcast details this week.

Main event: Cory Sandhagen

Aug 5, 2023; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Cory Sandhagen (red gloves) fights Rob Font (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Record: (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
Opponent: Umar Nurmagomedov (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Key wins: Rob Font, Marlon Vera, Yadong Song, Frankie Edgar, Raphael Assuncao
Misc.: Sandhagen will go after his fourth straight win against his toughest test yet in the unbeaten Nurmagomedov. They were supposed to fight in August 2023, but Nurmagomedov pulled out. Sandhagen beat replacement Rob Font, instead.

Main event: Umar Nurmagomedov

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 25: (R-L) Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia kicks Nate Maness in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on June 25, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Record: (17-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC)
Opponent: Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC)
Division: Bantamweight
Key wins: Raoni Barcelos, Nate Maness
Misc.: Nurmagomedov has the name value, to be certain, but he hasn’t beaten names of the same caliber as the ones on Sandhagen’s resume. He returned from a 14-month layoff in March for a decision win over Bekzat Almakhan.

Co-main event: Shara Magomedov

Record: (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Opponent: Michal Oleksiejczuk (19-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Antonio Trocoli, Bruno Silva
Misc.: After a decision win in his UFC debut this past October, Shara “Bullet” lived up to his promise with a third-round knockout of Antonio Trocoli for a $50,000 bonus. Against Oleksiejczuk, he’ll face a decided step up in competition from a UFC experience standpoint.

Co-main event: Michal Oleksiejczuk

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 29: (R-L) Michal Oleksiejczuk of Poland punches Caio Borralho of Brazil in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 29, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Record: (19-8 MMA, 17-6 UFC)
Opponent: Shara Magomedov (13-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC)
Division: Middleweight
Key wins: Chidi Njokuani, Cody Brundage, Shamil Gamzatov, Modestas Bukauskas
Misc.: Oleksiejczuk is fighting for the third time in just five months. Why? His losses to Michel Pereira and Kevin Holland were 61 and 94 seconds, respectively, and both submissions. Little damage means a chance for a reversal of fortunes – but he’s a sizable underdog.

UFC debut: Jordan Vucenic

Record: 13-2
Opponent: Guram Kutateladze (12-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Division: Lightweight
Key wins: Paul Hughes, Morgan Charriere
Misc.: Vucenic won the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2021. Just nine days ago, he submitted Adrian Kepa in 82 seconds at Cage Warriors 174 in a lightweight bout, and now he’ll make a quick turnaround for a short-notice UFC debut.

Key bout: Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Marlon Vera

Current champion USA’s Sean O’Malley (L) fights Ecuador’s Marlon Vera during their UFC Bantamweight Championship bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on March 9, 2024. between (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA / AFP) (Photo by GIORGIO VIERA/AFP via Getty Images)

Former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (23-3-1 MMA, 12-3-1 UFC) continues his push at bantamweight, where he’s 2-2. He’ll take on recent title challenger Marlon Vera (23-9-1 MMA, 15-8 UFC) in the featured bout on the main card.

Key bout: Michael Chiesa vs. Tony Ferguson

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JANUARY 20: (L-R) Michael Chiesa punches Neil Magny in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 20, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Michael Chiesa (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) will try to get back on track after a three-fight skid when he meets former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson (25-10 MMA, 15-8 UFC), who really knows a thing or two about skids at this point. He’s dropped seven straight fights. Certainly an eighth straight loss would spell the end of his UFC career, right?

Key bout: Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez

Feb 17, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Mackenzie Dern fights against Amanda Lemos during UFC 298 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Mackenzie Dern (13-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) has back-to-back losses for the first time in her career. Loopy Godinez (12-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) needs to get back on track, herself, after Virna Jandiroba snapped her four-fight streak in March. One of them will get back into the pack at women’s strawweight.