ISRAEL ADESANYA TO HEADLINE UFC QATAR IN NOVEMBER

September 22, 2026

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By ‘Sefiu Ajape

Former UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is reportedly being lined up to headline UFC Qatar against Russia’s Shara “Bullet” Magomedov on November 21.

Russian reports claim the two middleweights are being targeted for a five-round main event at the ABHA Arena in Doha.

The UFC has officially confirmed its return to Qatar on November 21, but the promotion is yet to announce any bout for the card or confirm a matchup between Adesanya and Magomedov.

Magomedov has previously expressed his desire to fight Adesanya. He called out the Nigerian-born former champion after defeating Armen Petrosyan at UFC 308 in October 2024, recalling that he used to pursue Adesanya when both fighters competed in kickboxing in China.

“I used to chase Israel Adesanya when he fought kickboxing in China. I was fighting kickboxing in China, too,” Magomedov said, according to MMA Fighting.

The Russian returned to winning ways with a unanimous decision victory over Michel Pereira at UFC Baku on June 27, improving his professional record to 17-1. He is currently ranked No. 15 in the UFC middleweight division.

The proposed Adesanya-Magomedov bout would pit the former middleweight champion against the No. 15-ranked Russian, although the UFC is yet to make the fight official.