UFC Abu Dhabi Ceremonial Weigh-Ins Set

UFC Abu Dhabi moved through its final pre-fight public appearance on Friday as all 26 fighters returned to the stage for ceremonial weigh-ins ahead of Ankalaev vs. Guskov. The promotion’s ceremonial presentation came after the early official weigh-ins had already been completed, giving the athletes one more face-to-face moment before Saturday’s event. The card is scheduled for July 25, 2026, at Etihad Arena on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with the event available on Paramount+. Ceremonial weigh-ins do not replace the official scale process, but they provide the last organized opportunity for fighters to appear before the event and take part in staredowns. In Abu Dhabi, the full group of 26 competitors was brought back to the stage. That detail makes the presentation more than a main-event photo opportunity: it was a card-wide final checkpoint in the public build toward fight night.

The main and co-main event participants also had their staredowns as part of the ceremony. For Magomed Ankalaev, the appearance arrived alongside candid comments about the loss that he said changed his approach. Ankalaev said some fighters struggle to return quickly after a defeat because they come back altered. He described his own loss differently, calling it an experience that made him better and saying he expects to return stronger. That perspective gives the final staredown added context without changing what the ceremony itself represents. The weigh-in stage is not the contest, but it is the final setting in which the matchup is presented before competition begins. Ankalaev’s remarks placed the focus on his response to defeat, while the Abu Dhabi program completed the transition from official weigh-ins to the next day’s event.

A final stage before Ankalaev vs. Guskov

The UFC’s sequence in Abu Dhabi is straightforward. Early official weigh-ins were held first, then the fighters returned for the ceremonial portion. The source describes the ceremony as the final stop before the Ankalaev vs. Guskov MMA event, scheduled for Saturday at Etihad Arena. That chronology is useful because the two weigh-in settings serve different purposes: the early session had already put the official process in the books, while the later appearance centered on the event presentation and the fighter faceoffs. All 26 fighters appearing again also underlines the scale of the ceremonial event. Rather than limiting the stage to one pairing, the promotion included every competitor listed for the card. The main- and co-main-event staredowns were specifically highlighted, providing the final visual moments for the featured bouts before the action shifts from the stage to the arena on July 25.

Ankalaev’s comments supplied the clearest personal thread heading into the event. He said that, after a loss, some people cannot come back for a while and may return altered. He then contrasted that possibility with his own view, saying the setback was an experience that made him better. His message was not simply about putting a defeat behind him; it was about treating that result as part of his preparation to move forward. He also addressed the motivation behind his return. Ankalaev said the loss to Alex Pereira was his fault and resulted from his mistake, adding that he lost the belt in the first place because of that error. He said he is motivated to come back and get it back, and said he is 100 percent sure he will be able to do so. Those are Ankalaev’s stated beliefs and intentions, not a confirmed outcome from the Abu Dhabi card. The verified development remains the completed ceremonial weigh-ins and the approaching Guskov matchup.

Ankalaev frames the fight as a response

The ceremonial weigh-ins offered a final public setting for Ankalaev’s stated outlook before he meets Guskov. His comments focused on resilience after defeat and on the motivation he takes from the loss he referenced. By saying that the experience made him better, Ankalaev presented the upcoming fight as part of a forward-looking response rather than a pause after the setback. The source does not provide a result for the forthcoming contest, nor does it establish what will happen after it. What it does confirm is the immediate next step: Ankalaev vs. Guskov is set for July 25 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi after the official and ceremonial weigh-in activities were completed. The ceremony therefore closed the public pre-fight program described in the report, with the fighters now moving toward the event itself.

• All 26 fighters returned to the stage for the UFC Abu Dhabi ceremonial weigh-ins after the early official session.
• The ceremony included the featured staredowns and served as the final stop before Saturday’s Ankalaev vs. Guskov event.

UFC Abu Dhabi’s ceremonial weigh-ins are complete, leaving Ankalaev vs. Guskov one day away. The full 26-fighter stage appearance and the featured staredowns provided the last public pre-fight scenes, while Ankalaev used the occasion to explain how he views his loss, his motivation and his determination to move forward.

Sources: MMA Mania