Kamaru Usman to Meet Fans in Abu Dhabi

Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman will meet fans in Abu Dhabi this week. This is part of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week, leading up to UFC 333 on Saturday.

The promotion is hosting two UFC Fan Experiences at Etihad Arena and other venues. These will include public workouts, meet-and-greets, and live events. Usman will be at Yas Mall on Wednesday with featherweight contender Jean Silva and Moroccan featherweight Marwan Rahiki.

The session comes after the public workouts for the main-event fighters. Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev will take part, along with co-main event fighters Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. Volkanovski will defend his featherweight title against Evloev. Dvalishvili is looking to regain the bantamweight belt he lost to Yan in December.

Usman has great memories of Abu Dhabi. “The Nigerian Nightmare” defended his welterweight title against Jorge Masvidal on Fight Island in July 2020.

“Abu Dhabi has always been a special place for me and for UFC. I have some great memories of competing here, and the fans always bring incredible energy,” Usman said.

“I am excited to be back, meet the fans and be part of another huge week for UFC in Abu Dhabi.”

On Friday, fans can meet bantamweight contender Song Yadong, lightweight Mauricio Ruffy, and Palestinian-American heavyweight Sean Sharaf at Yas Bay Waterfront from 7pm. Yadong hopes to fight the winner of the Yan-Dvalishvili match.

UFC 333 press conferences will be held on Thursday at Etihad Arena from 4pm to 5.30pm. Fans can attend for free. The official weigh-ins will be closed at 8am on Friday. Public ceremonial weigh-ins will follow at Etihad Arena from 4pm to 6.30pm. Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Rahiki will join a live Q&A before the weigh-ins.

UFC 333 takes place on Saturday, October 24. The preliminary card starts around 6pm UAE time, and the main card is expected to begin around 10pm.