Less than 24 hours remain before Dana White & Co.’s UFC debut in Qatar kicks off. Fight Night 265 is shaping up to deliver a thrilling lineup with fighters from over twenty countries coming to The Pearl of the Arabian Gulf. In the main event, lightweight standout Arman Tsarukyan will face Dan Hooker, aiming to re-establish himself as a title contender. After a 19-month absence from the Octagon, Tsarukyan is determined to make a statement and position himself to challenge reigning lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Beyond the main event, the fight card promises plenty of excitement, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.

In the co-main event, welterweight contender and former champion Belal Muhammad will face Irishman Ian Garry. The winner moves closer to a title shot, raising the stakes and making this matchup particularly compelling, especially after last Saturday’s UFC 322. UFC Qatar also underscores the sport’s global reach, featuring 28 fighters representing a record-breaking 22 nationalities (or 21 if you group England and the U.K. as one). This surpasses the previous record set at UFC 286, which showcased 17 nationalities (or 16). While it may not rival the Olympics in scale, the event offers an impressive display of international MMA talent.

Arman Tsarukyan and other main card fighters represent their countries at UFC Qatar

To truly appreciate the event’s global flavor, it makes sense to start with the headliner. Arman Tsarukyan’s nationality has long sparked debate among fans and critics. He was born in Armenia and holds Armenian residency, but he spent much of his life in Russia. Still, whenever he steps into the UFC Octagon, he proudly represents Armenia and showcases his strong freestyle-wrestling roots.

Across from him, Dan Hooker enters as a proud New Zealander. ‘The Hangman’ is a dark horse in the lightweight division and could upset the title scene if he halts Tsarukyan’s momentum. The co-main event also carries strong national representation.

Belal Muhammad walks out with the Palestinian flag, honoring the place he was born before moving to America for better opportunities. Despite building his life in the United States, Belal’s connection to Palestine remains at the heart of his identity. His opponent, Ian Garry, will carry the Irish flag, made iconic in the UFC by his compatriot and former ‘champ champ’ Conor McGregor.

In the light heavyweight division, Volkan Oezdemir proudly represents Switzerland. Facing him is Alonzo Menifield, a strong representative of the United States who continues to rise through the rankings. The welterweight bout features Norway’s Jack Hermansson, who hopes to assert his experience and skill against Kyrgyzstan’s Myktybek Orolbai.

Meanwhile, an important flyweight matchup sees Russia’s Tagir Ulanbekov, currently ranked No. 11, taking on Japan’s Kyoji Horiguchi. Horiguchi always carries the Japanese flag with pride, bringing both his culture and world-class experience into the Octagon. The heavyweight clash rounds out the international lineup, as Moldova’s Serghei Spivac meets Bahrain’s Shamil Gaziev. Their matchup could determine who takes the next big step toward a future title run, with both fighters eager to break into the top tier of the division.

Prelims fighters and their flags at UFC Fight Night 256

Now let’s take a closer look at the preliminary bouts, which offer a mix of talent from every division. The action begins in the featherweight category, where Austrian rising talent Bogdan Grad meets England’s Luke Riley in a classic Europe-vs-Europe clash. As we move further down the card, the welterweight matchup features Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby against Russian contender Saygid Izagakhmaev. The Russian hopeful steps in looking to follow the path set by countrymen like Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev.

The flyweight division brings another exciting pairing, as Shavkat Rakhmonov’s compatriot from Kazakhstan, Asu Almabaev, takes on American standout Alex Perez, who proudly carries the U.S. flag into battle. Next, the light heavyweight division delivers an intriguing showdown between Türkiye’s Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev and Brazil’s Rafael Cerqueira. With Brazilian fighters having a rough year inside the UFC, Cerqueira steps in with added pressure to turn things around.

The bantamweight fight brings even more attention, with Bekzat Almakhan representing Kazakhstan as he prepares to take on lightweight champion Ilia Topuria’s younger brother, Aleksandre Topuria. Like his brother, Aleksandre represents Georgia despite spending most of his life in Spain.

The prelims wrap up with three more matchups. In the middleweight division, Morocco’s Ismail Naurdiev meets the United States’ Ryan Loder. Over in the lightweight fight, Tajikistan’s Nurullo Aliev faces England’s Shem Rock. And closing out the prelim slate, newly signed heavyweight Marek Bulo proudly represents Poland as he steps in against America’s Denzel Freeman, who brings the stars and stripes to the Octagon.

What do you think about the international diversity at UFC Qatar? Is this the kind of fight card fans have been waiting for, and could it create opportunities for fighters from smaller countries? Share your thoughts below.