The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be held for the first time in Saudi Arabia this February.
Mayra Bueno Silva (10-4-1, ranked No. 1 in North Carolina) will move to flyweight for a Feb. 1 matchup, which was quickly confirmed in Monday’s promotion announcement, according to Canadian Sportsnet. He plans to return. The Brazilian fighter will face Jasmine Jasdavicius (12-3) at UFC Saudi Arabia, also known as the currently unnumbered UFC Fight Night event, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It has not been officially announced whether the event will be held at the Kingdom Arena, like past UFC shows in the city, or in a building dubbed “The Venue.”
It will be the first female match between the two women in the Octagon in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This is not the first women’s match to be considered for the promotion in the Middle East, with that honor going to Sara Moras vs. Liana Jojua at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in 2019. The event will be UFC’s second trip to Saudi Arabia, following the first UFC on ABC 6 in June, which was headlined by Robert Whittaker and Ikram Ariskerov.
Silva will return to flyweight after losing two fights to defending champion Raquel Pennington and Macy Chiasson. The woman known as “Seetara” made her UFC debut in the weight class in 2018, going 2-2 and a draw with Montana de la Rosa before gaining the promotion. The Brazilian last fought at UFC Fight Night 219 in early 2023, when Holly Holm’s ninja choke failed a post-fight drug test and the fight was ruled a no-contest.
The Canadian’s successful 2024 campaign, with three wins and two submissions, thrust her into this high-stakes affair. Since losing a decision to Tracy Cortez in 2023, Jasdavicius has racked up wins over Priscilla Cachoeira, Fatima Klein and Ariane Lipsky, ending with a Bravo choke, the third women’s match in the Octagon.
The currently unnumbered Fight Night event (which may be listed differently depending on broadcast plans) will take place on February 1st in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The fight will take place inside Kingdom Arena or The Venue, and the card will not have a headliner. Other events scheduled include a heavyweight showdown between Sergei Pavlovic and Jairzinho Rozenstryk, a middleweight scrap with Andre Muniz against Ikram Ariskerov, and a 185-pound clash between Michael Page and Sharavdin Magomedov. This includes combinations of rumors.
