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Oliveira and Abdueva Face Off at UAE Warriors 74 Press Conference in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, 20 October 2026 — The talking is done. At the UAE Warriors 74 press conference, the athletes at the top of the card faced the media two days before fight night and then stood face to face for the final time before they meet in the cage at ADNEC Centre.
Oliveira and Abdueva face off for the strawweight title
Strawweight champion Michele Oliveira (6-1) and Farida Abdueva (8-2) held the centre of the stage with the UAE Warriors women’s strawweight title between them. The Brazilian makes the first defence of the belt she won at UAE Warriors 65, while the Kyrgyz challenger arrives in Abu Dhabi with the chance to take the championship home on Thursday night.
Chipfumbu and Essam square up in the co-main event
The co-main event pairing squared up next. Sylvester Chipfumbu (14-6), the Zimbabwean “Gladiator” from Gweru, has held the UAE Warriors Intercontinental Featherweight Championship since his five-round decision over Ali AlQaisi at UAE Warriors 61 in July 2025. Across from him stood Egypt’s Abdelrahman Essam (10-0), who brings an unbeaten record into the biggest test of his career.
Watch the full UAE Warriors 74 press conference
UAE Warriors 74 press conference photo gallery
UAE Warriors 74 full fight card
The rest of the 12-fight card was represented as fight week reached its final stretch. Peter Danesoe, who took a split decision over former champion Ali Taleb at UAE Warriors 72 in July, meets Farkhod Kudratov at bantamweight. Ata Atdayev, who kept his perfect record on the same night with a unanimous decision over Paulo Victor, returns at flyweight against Bekhzod Abdurakhimov. The full card:
- Women’s Strawweight Title: Michele Oliveira (c) vs Farida Abdueva
- Featherweight: Sylvester Chipfumbu vs Abdelrahman Essam
- Catchweight (59kg): Rashid Vagabov vs Marciano Ferreira
- Bantamweight: Peter Danesoe vs Farkhod Kudratov
- Catchweight (88kg): Ayissi Bessala vs Bashir Mustafaev
- Catchweight (67kg): Sundet Aytkul vs Maycon Alcino
- Featherweight: Jaures Dea vs Marouane Bellagouit
- Bantamweight: Murad Ibragimov vs Juscelino Pantoja
- Catchweight (59kg): Flobater Fares vs Ruel Pañales
- Flyweight: Bekhzod Abdurakhimov vs Ata Atdayev
- Bantamweight: Lisa Zimmo vs Gase Sanita
- Welterweight: Amirchupan Taygibov vs Karim Labdou
How to watch UAE Warriors 74
With the microphones switched off and the face-offs complete, only the cage remains. Oliveira puts her title on the line against Abdueva at UAE Warriors 74 on Thursday, 22 October 2026 at ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi, with the first bout at 7:00 PM UAE time. The event streams live on UFC Fight Pass, and tickets are on sale through Virgin Megastore Tickets.
