UFC® Fight Night returns to Doha on Saturday, November 21, bringing former champions, ranked contenders and returning fighters to Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. Organised by UFC, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organisation, in partnership with Visit Qatar, the event marks the second visit to Qatar and adds to the country’s calendar of major international sporting events.
Building on the success of last year’s event
UFC’s debut event in Qatar, held in November 2025, sold out ABHA Arena, welcoming more than 8,000 fans, including visitors from across the GCC and other international markets. The return brings together established international names and several fighters who competed in Doha last year, offering fans another opportunity to experience world class mixed martial arts.
Main event features former champion Jiří Procházka
The headline bout sees No. 2 ranked light heavyweight contender Jiří Procházka (32-6-1), who fights out of Brno, Czech Republic, take on undefeated No. 5 ranked Navajo Stirling (11-0) of Auckland, New Zealand.
Procházka won the UFC light heavyweight title with a fifth-round submission victory over Glover Teixeira at UFC® 275 in 2022 before vacating the championship due to injury. With 28 knockout victories to his name, he returns to the Octagon® for the first time since April, seeking to strengthen his position in the division’s title picture.
Stirling earned his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 and has recorded six consecutive victories in the organisation. He has stopped all three of his opponents this year, including former champion Jan Błachowicz in August. The two fighters will meet in a five round contest.
Featherweight contest headlines the co main event
Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (26-5), who fights out of Cortland, New York, faces No. 9 ranked featherweight contender Kevin Vallejos (18-1) of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Sterling defended his bantamweight title three times before moving up to featherweight, where he has won three of four bouts. Vallejos enters the contest following four consecutive UFC victories, including wins over Giga Chikadze and Josh Emmett.
Familiar names return to Doha
Several fighters competing in November will be familiar to audiences who attended UFC’s inaugural event in Qatar. No. 13 ranked lightweight Dan Hooker (24-15), who headlined the promotion’s first Doha event, faces two-time featherweight title challenger Brian Ortega (16-5). Ortega, who fights out of Torrance, California, moves up to lightweight for the bout.
The flyweight division will also feature a contest between No. 7 ranked Asu Almabayev (24-3) of Almaty, Kazakhstan, and No. 5 ranked Kyoji Horiguchi (36-6), who fights out of Coconut Creek, Florida. Both fighters recorded submission victories in Doha last year.
International line up across the divisions
The card features additional matchups across several weight divisions. Former middleweight title challenger and No. 11 ranked Jared Cannonier (18-10) of Glendale, Arizona, faces No. 13 ranked Ikram Aliskerov (18-2) of Makhachkala, Russia.
In the heavyweight division, Shamil Gaziev (15-3), who fights out of Manama, Bahrain, meets Brazil’s Tallison Teixeira (9-2), who fights out of São Paulo. The welterweight bout sees Tahir Abdullayev (20-3), representing Russia, take on Australian fighter Jake Matthews (23-8) of Victoria.
The bantamweight division features Aleksandre Topuria (7-1), who fights out of Alicante, Spain, against Santiago Luna (8-1) of Baja California, Mexico.
The card also includes a flyweight rematch between No. 9 ranked Amir Albazi (17-3), who fights out of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Alessandro Costa (17-5) of Puebla, Mexico. The pair first met nearly four years ago, when Albazi secured a third-round knockout victory.
Featuring former champions, ranked contenders and returning fighters, UFC Fight Night will bring another evening of world-class MMA action to Doha. The event adds to Qatar’s calendar of major sporting events, giving residents and visitors further opportunities to experience the country’s diverse sports and entertainment offering.
Tickets for UFC® FIGHT NIGHT: PROCHÁZKA vs STIRLING are available for purchase through the Visit Qatar ticketing platform here: https://visitqatar.com/ufc-tickets, while the full programme of upcoming events can also be viewed on the official Qatar Calendar website: https://visitqatar.com/intl-en/events-calendar.
- End -
