UFC 242
| Industry | Mixed martial arts promotion |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Headquarters | Las Vegas , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts events |
| Website | www |
UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier was a pay-per-view mixed martial arts event organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on September 7, 2019, held at The Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Background
This event represented the UFC's third appearance in Abu Dhabi and its first return since April 2014. The headline fight was a unification match for the lightweight championship between the current titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov and the interim champion Dustin Poirier.
Originally, a lightweight matchup between Magomed Mustafaev and Don Madge was planned; however, Mustafaev withdrew due to undisclosed reasons. Consequently, Madge competed against promotional debutant Farès Ziam instead.
Adam Yandiev was scheduled to face newcomer Punahele Soriano, but a knee injury forced Yandiev to pull out, resulting in the cancellation of their bout.
A bantamweight contest between Khalid Taha and Bruno Gustavo da Silva was postponed and moved to UFC 243.
During the weigh-ins, Sarah Moras exceeded the bantamweight limit by two pounds, incurring a 20% fine on her fight purse; despite this, her match against Liana Jojua proceeded at catchweight.
Results
{{MMAevent bout |Middleweight |Omari Akhmedov |def. |Zak Cummings |Decision (unanimous) (30–27, 30–27, 29–28) |}
Bonus awards
The following competitors earned $50,000 bonuses:
- Fight of the Night: No award given.
- Performance of the Night: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Ottman Azaitar, Belal Muhammad, and Muslim Salikhov
Viewership
Prior to the event, UFC 242's promotional videos across digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram accumulated over 112 million views.
In Russia, where the event aired on free-to-air Channel One Russia, approximately 26 million viewers tuned in—equating to nearly 24% of the adult population—highlighting substantial audience reach and brand visibility in a critical market.