UFC Abu Dhabi ‘Weekend Lock’ ... What’s Yours?

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

UFC Abu Dhabi is less than 24 hours away ...

It all goes down this weekend (Sat., July 26, 2025) inside Etihad Arena in United Arab Emirates. In the main event, former Middleweight champion, Robert Whittaker, tries to hold off the surging Reinier de Ridder.

We have a fight week series at MMAmania.com called “Weekend Lock,” where we share one bet that we feel could slap in the Middle East when the chaotic dust settles. We also want to hear what our readers think (that’s you!), so please tell us your

most confident UFC Abu Dhabi betting lock in the comments section below (full UFC Abu Dhabi odds here).

Last week’s recap: We got back on track with our first-ever parlay as Ateba Gautier and Islam Dulatov both brutally knocked out their opponents.

Let’s keep on, keeping on below:

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

UFC Abu Dhabi’s “Featured” main card fight pits Shara “Bullet” Magomedov against Canada’s Marc-Andre Barriault, and it’s set to be a banger—until someone’s lights go out. Magomedov’s a massive -625 favorite, but don’t sleep on the chaos.

That being said, UFC Abu Dhabi’s Weekend Lock is a prop bet: Magomedov to Win Fight & Under 2.5 Rounds, priced at -135.

Here’s why:

I will admit, I’m not completely sold on the one-eyed Russian fighter yet, but this fight is tailor-made for him to shine. Magomedov is a flashy striker with two knockouts inside the Octagon; however, he’s a notorious slow starter, still chasing that elusive first round finish in UFC.

Barriault? He’s a pressure cooker, always charging forward ... for better or worse. “Powerbar” smashed Bruno Silva in his last fight (watch highlights), a feat Magomedov couldn’t pull off in his Octagon debut. But, Barriault’s chin is incredibly suspect. Before Silva, he got flatlined by Joe Pyfer and Dustin Stoltzfus, a guy not exactly known for dropping bombs (watch highlights).

Magomedov is no one-punch knockout artist, but his speed, flair, and range control spell disaster for brawlers like Barriault. By 2:29 of Round 3, “Bullet” should have “Powerbar” unplugged.

For what it’s worth, this X/Twitter is saying stay away from Magomedov vs. Barriault:

Sharabutdin Magomedov vs. Marc-Andre Barriault

Pick: ⛔️ STAY AWAY! ⛔️

Unplayable ML for a favored pure striker but also impossible to trust Barriault's damage tolerance against someone such as Shara Bullet, which makes the over/under somewhat tricky.

UFC Abu Dhabi Stats Comp: pic.twitter.com/DHGUXsR3qE

— MMA RAX (@MMA_RAX) July 23, 2025

• Shara Magomedov To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: -135
• Shara Magomedov To Win By Submission: +2000
• Shara Magomedov To Win By Decision: +200
• Draw: +5000
• Marc-Andre Barriault To Win By KO/TKO/DQ: +1100
• Marc-Andre Barriault To Win By Submission: +2800
• Marc-Andre Barriault To Win By Decision: +1000

Do you agree with our lock of the weekend? Please sound off in the comments and let us know your most confident UFC Abu Dhabi pick this weekend. Correct “lock” predictions will be shared in our “Best of the Best” article next week, too.

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Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Abu Dhabi fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ABC “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, before the main card start time at 3 p.m. ET (also on ESPN/ABC).

To checkout the latest and greatest UFC Abu Dhabi: “Whittaker vs. de Ridder” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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