While becoming the first Emirati to compete in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an achievement in itself, remaining competitive in the world's lead Mixed Martial Arts is proving a much tougher challenge for Mohammed Yahya.
Yahya, 31, returns to the octagon on July 26 at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi. He takes on American featherweight Steven Nguyen in what will be his third appearance for the promotion. After losing his two previous bouts, the Emirati knows this make or break for him.
“It obviously can be my last chance to be in the UFC for which I have worked all my life,” Yahya told The National.
“I have to be realistic. It’s like my only chance to stay in the UFC. Preparing for this fight has been taking everything from me. I've been sacrificing a lot since my last defeat. I've been changing a lot of stuff. I've been changing my diet, changing my training, and everything else.
“I've just been so disciplined following my last two fights in the promotion. I ate correctly and I ticked all the boxes. It's a new weight division for me, which is where I should have been fighting my whole life.”
Yahya has cut his weight down by 10 pounds (4.5kg) to compete in the 145lbs featherweight division.
“I have trained differently. A mix of more striking, working more in getting quicker. I feel lighter on my feet and feel much faster and stronger in every aspect,” he said of his preparation.
The Emirati had lost his inaugural UFC fight against American Trevor Peek in 2023. Then last year, he lost to Kaue Fernandes during UFC Fight Night.
Yahya has returned with renewed passion, having completed a 12-week camp at his gym in Dubai.
“The preparation has been good, training twice a day. I've been training with a lot of good fighters from all around the world. They train in my gym and it’s been great to take them on,” he said.
“So here we are, training with all types of fighters. Preparation has gone very well. The rest is all just for the night. I'm now ready to go at any time this week, next week, I'm ready.”
Nguyen also enters the contest with a lot to prove. He lost to Dutchman Jarno Errens in his UFC debut in Las Vegas in March last year. He has a 9-2 overall record to Yahya’s 12-5.
“I have seen some of his videos,” Yahya said of his opponent. “We have worked a few strategies for him but I don’t care who stands in front of me. I just need to go out there and get this win.
“In the last two fights, I felt the pressure, but I don't think pressure is a thing any more for me. I just want to go out and prove myself and make my country and my family proud.”
Yahya is proud of his record of being the first Emirati to compete in the UFC. He was also the first UAE MMA fighter to turn professional, making a winning debut against Jordanian Hamza Nafush in Desert Force 11 in Bahrain back in March 2014.
“I feel great to be the first Emirati in the UFC. It makes me proud that I get to represent my country. I'm in MMA’s biggest stage, and it's always been my dream to be in the UFC since I was 14.
Early in his career, Yahya struggled to find the right training system to pursue combat sports full time. He then moved to the UK to train in kickboxing. He acknowledges MMA has now come a long way in the UAE from the time he started.
“Back in the day, I didn't have many opportunities to fight or to train in combat sports here. Now there's hundreds of specialised gyms for combat sports and some of the biggest and sophisticated ones in the world.”
“The next generation of Emirati MMA fighters is very lucky,” he added. “The opportunities they have, the training they have, the events they have ... So if you really wanted to be an MMA fighter now, it's much easier.”
UFC Fight Night will be headlined by former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker and Dutchman Reinier de Ridder. Also on the main card is Movsar Evloev v Aaron Pico in the featherweight category, along with Shara Magomedov v Marc-Andre Barriault and Petr Yan v Marcus McGhee.
“I love Robert Whittaker. I’m a big fan of him. He's a legend in the sport. I really don't want to miss his fight. He's going to put on a good show on night,” Yahya said.
