Akbar Abdullaev makes a UFC debut against fellow prospect Mairon Santos after impressing Dana White with a devastating knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series earlier this year.
The former ONE Championship standout needed just one punch to finish his opponent, prompting the UFC CEO to describe him as one of the “greatest talents” in the history of the Contender Series.
Abdullaev earned his UFC contract with a dominant performance and has since been eager to test himself against the lightweight division’s top contenders. The promotion also appears keen to get him into the Octagon quickly, with reports suggesting that his first UFC appearance is already in the works.
According to Ag. Fight, Abdullaev will face Santos at UFC Saudi Arabia on December 5 in Riyadh. The matchup will reportedly mark Santos’ move from featherweight to lightweight after he struggled to make the 145-pound limit ahead of his last fight.
Santos defeated Muhammad Naimov by unanimous decision despite the weight-cutting issue, extending his unbeaten UFC record to four fights.
The Brazilian previously won the featherweight tournament on The Ultimate Fighter 32 after knocking out Kaan Ofli in August 2024. He followed that victory with wins over Sodiq Yusuff and Francis Marshall before facing Naimov.
Abdullaev vs. Santos adds another promising matchup to the UFC Saudi Arabia lineup, which also features the returns of prospects Islam Dulatov and Hecher Sosa.
Former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya and Shara Magomedov will headline the event.
Abdullaev was one of the most impressive fighters to secure a contract during the 10th season of Dana White’s Contender Series.
The season concluded last month, with White handing out nearly 50 UFC contracts over 10 weeks of competition. Several winners have already made their promotional debuts, including Week 1 headliner Anthony Wint, who has started his UFC career with two consecutive victories.
Wint made his debut less than two weeks after competing on the Contender Series and later secured a 23-second knockout at UFC 332.
However, Abdullaev also made a strong impression with his performance during Week 6 of the competition.
The undefeated fighter entered the contest with a perfect 13-0 record and faced short-notice replacement Ednilson Santos. Abdullaev needed just 19 seconds to knock out his opponent and secure his UFC contract.
The victory extended his unbeaten record and maintained his 100% finishing rate as a professional fighter. His performance also strengthened the argument that the 29-year-old deserved a direct UFC contract without having to compete on the Contender Series.
Santos will present another serious test for Abdullaev despite moving up from featherweight. The Brazilian joined The Ultimate Fighter 32 after building a 13-1 professional record. He won back-to-back decisions to reach the featherweight final before knocking out Kaan Ofli in the second round to claim the tournament title.
Santos has since won all four of his UFC appearances, establishing himself as another promising prospect in the promotion.
However, his weight-cutting issues ahead of the Naimov fight could explain the decision to move up to lightweight. A matchup with Abdullaev will give him an opportunity to test himself in a new division while putting his unbeaten UFC record on the line.
