UFC Abu Dhabi Drops a Main Card Bout Hours Before the First Bell

UFC Abu Dhabi lost a fight before the doors even opened. The promotion confirmed Saturday morning, just hours ahead of the card, that the main-card welterweight meeting between Islam Dulatov and Wellington Turman is off. That leaves Saturday's Fight Night with 12 bouts instead of the scheduled 13, and one fewer name on the marquee under headliners Magomed Ankalaev and Bogdan Guskov.

The reason is medical. Dulatov's team said the 12-1 welterweight was admitted to hospital on Friday with an infection and spent several hours undergoing treatment. Both the fighter and the UFC agreed to pull him rather than push a compromised athlete into the cage, and his camp framed the withdrawal purely as a health call. They added that Dulatov intends to recover fully and return stronger, with the fighter set to address fans personally once he's able.

It's a rough break for a prospect building real momentum. Dulatov, unranked but 8-of-12 wins by knockout, is coming off a first-round TKO of Adam Fugitt — the kind of finish that gets a welterweight noticed. An infection serious enough to warrant a hospital stay is nobody's fault, but it stalls a fighter who looked ready to make a jump.

The Blow to Turman

The cancellation stings even more for Turman. The Brazilian was booked for his first walk to the Octagon in two and a half years, a layoff forced by four separate shoulder surgeries. That's a long road back for anyone, and to have it wiped out on fight morning is about as deflating as it gets.

Turman, to his credit, kept it classy. He wished Dulatov a quick recovery on social media and said he'd like a fast turnaround — either a rebooking against the same opponent or a new one entirely. After four surgeries and 30 months out, the man clearly wants to fight sooner rather than later.

What's Left at the Top

For now, the UFC hasn't said whether it will bump another bout up to fill the vacated main-card slot. The top of the bill still carries plenty of weight: Ankalaev, the No. 1 light heavyweight at 21-2-1, is looking to steady himself after Alex Pereira stopped him with elbows in the opening round of their last meeting. Standing across from him is No. 9 Guskov, an 18-3-1 finisher with 15 knockouts who fought Jan Blachowicz to a draw last time out.

The main event angle is straightforward. Ankalaev needs a win to stay in the title conversation; Guskov can rocket up the rankings with an upset. That storyline carries the night — but a card that was supposed to run 13 deep now runs 12, and two fighters who did nothing wrong are left waiting on the next call.