Following the media frenzy during the fight week build-up, the main event between Tom Breese (20-8) and Caio Machado (12-4) lasted just two minutes after the latter was knocked down by the British wrestling specialist. But to the crowd’s surprise, the Brazilian overwhelmed his opponent and delivered a series of hellish ground and pound strikes, some of which seemed to push the boundaries of legality with their placement on the back of Breese’s skull. After choosing his shots more carefully, Machado’s attack continued, forcing the referee to call the fight to loud cheers from the packed crowd. Instead of calling for the title, Caio Machado was convinced his current form of stoppages warranted a second crack at the UFC’s 205lb division.
Explosive finish ⚡
Caio Machado dismantles a tough opponent in just 58 seconds with a TKO 🥊#UAEW67 #UAEWarriors #inAbudhabi pic.twitter.com/pPzIuXYLft— UAE Warriors (@uae_warriors) January 31, 2026
Despite being the UAE Warriors Intercontinental Featherweight Champion, Sylvester Chipfumbu (13-6) did not have his title on the line in his co-main event match against Gustavo Ribeiro (7-2) and with the pressure off, the Zimbabwean once again showed he is still in imperious form. Chipfumbu frustrated his Brazilian foe with technical counters and a nuanced wrestling attack and was superior in all areas of MMA skills to take the judges’ unanimous decision. After his hand was raised, the champion took on the man he defeated to take the title last year, Ali AlQaisi 16-9, as their rematch this year was announced some time later.
The crowd was treated to one of the best flyweight fights in recent memory as Team Nurmagomedov standout Rashid Vagabov (15-2) returned for his fifth Warriors fight and needed a win after being mocked by Dana White for not finishing his recent Contender Series fight. However, multiple Alash Pride 125lb champion Sanzhar Adilov (14-3) of Kazakhstan was not deterred from claiming the biggest scalp of his career as both faced off in three breathtaking rounds. Despite both fighters’ bad reputations, the fight took place mainly on the feet, as the hand speed, erratic footwork and devastating power of their kickboxing kept the entire arena in suspense. Vagabov took the split decision by the narrowest of margins, leaping over the cage to embrace head coach Khabib Nurmagomedov and current UFC champion and teammate Islam Makhachev 28-1, as fan forums look set to continue the heated debate over the outcome for many months to come.
One fight that was destined to stay off the judges’ scorecards was the crazy matchup between Bellator, PFL, ACA and ACB vet Mukhamed ‘Cherkes’ Berkhamov (18-4) and Vale Tudo specialist Jackson Loureiro (15-6-1). With the Brazilian stepping in just a few days’ notice and throwing his weight on the day of his touchdown from southern Brazil, the power and athleticism of the Russian’s offense proved too much once the bell sounded and the referee stepped in to call off the fight with thirty seconds left in the first.
In fact, there were five first-round finishes on the night, the best of which belonged to Dutch prodigy Benita van Rooij (7-1), who wasted little time in putting Uzbek hand-to-hand combat specialist Zulfiya Kurbashova to the canvas 3-4. Unable to fight the hands clamping the rear naked choke and refusing to tap, Kurbashova went to sleep and was immediately saved by the referee, who then raised the hand of a very emotional Van Rooij.
In a good evening for the veterans, Warriors fans witnessed the return of French-Moroccan favorite Sofiane Boukichou (13-9), who struggled on the receiving end of the fists of Gadzhi Abdulkadirov (6-3), until a beautifully timed knee in the middle stunned the Russian, who had no answer to the brutal onslaught of the follow-up strikes that forced the referee’s intervention midway through the second round.
Hot on the heels of a spectacular opening event of the year, CEO of Palms Sports and MD of UAE Warriors, Mr. Fouad Darwish, confirmed that the next event is planned as a double night of action in the ancient oasis city of Al Ain for UAE Warriors 68 and 69 on April 3 and 4 after Eid al-Fitr. If the exciting UAE Warriors 67 are to be believed, this will be the biggest year in the history of the first and largest MMA promotion in the Middle East.
The full UAE Warriors 67 Card results are:
Magomed Kurbanov defeats Khabib Gaziev by unanimous decision
Ayissi Bessala defeats Ulugbek Rakhmonov by KO, 1.53m from Rd 1
Murad Ibragimov defeats Enkhjargal Banzaragch by technical knockout, 4.13m from Rd 1
Beniita Van Roij defeats Dhulfiya Kurbashova by submission, 2.95m RD
Yusup Magomedov defeats Sharapudin Ziyaudinov by unanimous decision
Sofiane Boukichou defeats Gadzhi Abdulkadirov by technical knockout, 3.45 m from Rd 2
Magomed Tuchalov defeats Siyakudumiso Nomvemve by technical knockout, 0.43 from Rd 2
Rony Henrique defeated Moris Boleyan via Split Decision
Mukhamed Berkhamov defeats Jackson Loureiro by TKO, 4.28 m from Rd 1
Rashid Vagabov defeated Sanzhar Adilov via Split Decision
Sylvester Chipumbu defeats Gustavo Ribeiro by unanimous decision
Caio Machado defeated Tom Breese by TKO, 2.58 from Rd 1
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