Mairon Santos Meets Akbar Abdullaev at UFC Saudi Arabia

Mairon Santos will face undefeated Akbar Abdullaev at 155 pounds on Dec. 5 at UFC Saudi Arabia, scheduled for ANB Arena in Riyadh. The matchup was first reported by AG Fight, with Heavy.com’s Marcel Dorff reporting the weight class.

Santos Moves Up to Lightweight

Santos, 26, enters the bout with a 17-1 MMA record and a 4-0 run in the Octagon. The former Ultimate Fighter winner earned his UFC place with a knockout of Kaan Ofli in August 2024, then took a split decision over Francis Marshall in March 2025.

He later defeated Sodiq Yusuff in a lightweight bout in May 2025. Santos returned to featherweight for a matchup with Muhammad Naimov at UFC 323 in December 2025, winning by knockout but missing weight for the contest.

Santos was booked to face Nathaniel Wood at featherweight at UFC Paris in September, but withdrew. Pavel Andrusca replaced him and beat Wood. Santos is now set to compete at lightweight again, rather than return to 145 pounds.

Abdullaev Makes His UFC Debut

Abdullaev is 14-0, and every one of his victories has come by stoppage. The Kyrgyzstani fighter earned a UFC contract with a 19-second knockout of Ednilson Santos on Dana White’s Contender Series. The bout with Santos will be his first in the Octagon.

Abdullaev competed at 145 pounds on the Contender Series and will move up to lightweight for this matchup. Santos, by contrast, brings four UFC appearances’ worth of experience into the fight, while Abdullaev arrives unbeaten and with a finish in each of his 14 wins.

The fight is scheduled for Dec. 5 at ANB Arena in Riyadh as part of UFC Saudi Arabia. Santos and Abdullaev are set to meet at 155 pounds.