Mike
Davis needs to win at
UFC Abu Dhabi to take the next leap in his career.

Davis is scheduled to fight Nurullo
Aliev in a lightweight matchup on July 25 at Etihad Arena in
Abu Dhabi. He wants to secure a win so he can use the money to move
to Las Vegas, considered the home of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Mike Davis explains why Las Vegas move could boost his UFC
career

Davis claims moving to Las Vegas is the ideal next step to advance
his career. Considering Meta Apex and T-Mobile Arena are the UFC's
most frequented venues in recent years, the 155-pounder believes
it'll allow him to stay more active.

Davis regularly visits Las Vegas, where he trains at the UFC
Performance Institute, known for its state-of-the-art facilities.
Having been injury-ridden throughout his career, he believes he
will be healthier if he regularly visits the UFC PI.

“After this win, I plan to use the funds to move to Vegas,†Davis
said in a recent interview. “That way I'm closer to the UFC and I
can be involved with the short-notice T-Mobile and Apex fights. I
just want to be more active and more involved in what the UFC does
and what I can do with the UFC. So, the Vegas move is after this… I
just came back from Vegas. I was at the PI every day, doing
strength and conditioning. It's definitely the environment that I
need, the environment that my body needs. To be treated every
single day, I'm not gonna be injured anymore, which means I can
fight more often.â€

Davis is 5-2 in the UFC and coming off a knockout win over Mitch
Ramirez that saw him rebound from a loss against Fares Ziam.
Meanwhile, undefeated Tajik prospect Aliev has three UFC wins to
his name since earning a contract on
Dana White's Contender Series.

“I finish this guy and they won’t overlook
me anymore.”

Mike
Davis looks to make a statement against Nurullo
Aliev at
#UFCAbuDhabi and remind the lightweight division what he's
capable of.@VisitAbuDhabi
| @InAbuDhabi |

#InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/TG1ler4DG3

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 21, 2026

The
Ultimate Fighting Championship checked in with retired
lightweight Dustin
Poirier following his recent arrest.

Poirier (30-10) was arrested last month at Hartsfield–Jackson
Atlanta International Airport for threatening to fight a police
officer while intoxicated. He even used a racial slur directed at
the officer. “The Diamond” was subsequently charged with public
drunkenness and is currently out on bail.

The former interim champion has now disclosed that the UFC reached
out and offered assistance.

Dustin Poirier explains Hunter Campbell's message after his
Atlanta airport arrest

Poirier recently revealed that UFC executive Hunter Campbell
reached out to him after his arrest. Campbell told him that the UFC
wouldn't abandon him in difficult times after he fought in the
promotion for over a decade and assured Poirier that they have his
back. However, Poirier didn't hear personally from Dana
White.

“Literally one day after the arrest and all that happened, Hunter
Campbell of the UFC reached out to me and asked what he could do,
that the UFC’s got my back, anything they could help with, to let
them know,†Poirier told Ariel Helwani. “I believe his exact words
were something along the lines of, ‘I can’t let somebody who’s
fought for this company for over 15 years try to handle all of this
on his own. We have your back. Let us know what you need from us.'
I haven’t heard from Dana. Hunter is the one who reached out.â€

Poirier owned up to his mistake without making any excuses and
openly admits to struggling with his mental health since retiring
from the UFC last year. He is still under contract with the
promotion and hasn't entirely ruled out a return, but he has
committed to sobriety long-term.

Dustin
Poirier reveals Hunter Campbell reached out the day after his
airport incident:

“He reached out to me and asked what he could do. He said the UFC’s
got my back.

I believe his exact words were something along the lines of, ‘I
can’t let somebody who’s fought for this… pic.twitter.com/PWqtd1FBby

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
July 21, 2026

Dustin
Poirier is 28 days sober since the incident at the airport 💪
pic.twitter.com/JQQeJG4JdH

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS)
July 20, 2026

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight Santiago
Ponzinibbio continues to fight for the love of the sport.

Ponzinibbio (30-9) is set to make his 21st UFC appearance against
Sam
Patterson (14-3) at
UFC Abu Dhabi. The 39-year-old MMA veteran recently explained
why he continues fighting.

Santiago Ponzinibbio explains his mindset before UFC Abu Dhabi
bout with Sam Patterson

Ponzinibbio claims he is financially set and can retire comfortably
if he wants to. However, the Argentine is forever a fighter at
heart and relishes the challenge of every new opponent. While
Ponzinibbio has the liberty to turn down offers at this stage in
his career, he says he accepts anyone the UFC pits against him.

“It's what I have in my blood,†Ponzinibbio said in a recent
interview. “It's my instinct. I love to fight. Thank God, I don't
need to fight more. If I want to stop, I can stop. It's not about
money; it's just about what I love. I love the competition, the
challenge. I can say, ‘No, I don't want this fight because there's
nothing to gain.' But no, I take every fight. I always take the
fight the company gives me.â€

Ponzinibbio has fought the who's who of the welterweight division
in his UFC career spanning more than a decade. However, he has
dropped three of his last four bouts and is coming off a stoppage
loss against Daniel
Rodriguez. Meanwhile, Patterson is coming off a decision loss
against Michael
Page that snapped a four-fight first-round finishing
streak.

“Argentina has great potential in this
sport.”

Santiago
Ponzinibbio (@SPonzinibbioMMA)
reflects on his MMA journey and the rise of Argentinian contenders
ahead of his return against Sam
Patterson at
#UFCAbuDhabi.@VisitAbuDhabi
| @InAbuDhabi |

#InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/HfDyZP15Vr

— UFC News (@UFCNews)
July 21, 2026