Canadian middleweight Marc-Andre Barriault headed to Abu Dhabi for next UFC fight

Fresh off a dominant weekend win in Montreal at UFC 315, Quebec middleweight Marc Andrew (Power Bar) Barriault will face Russia’s Shara Magomedov on a July 26 UFC Fight Night card in Abu Dhabi.

The main event at Etihad Arena pits former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker, a New Zealand-born Australian-based fighter currently ranked fifth among 185-pound contenders, against No. 13 Reinier De Ridder of the Netherlands.

Barriault (17-9-0 with one no-contest) needed just 87 seconds to stop Bruno Silva with a string of brutal elbows at the Bell Centre. The Brazilian left the cage on a stretcher and was taken to hospital to be checked out, late reporting he had passed all the tests.

The Florida-based Barriault, who had lost three straight, is 6-8-0 with one no contest in the promotion.

The KO came in the last fight of his existing contract, with the UFC wasting little time to keep him in the fold.

“I think I proved tonight I still belong here and I want to stay here,” he told reporters after the win.

Magomedov (15-1-0) won his first four UFC bouts before losing via decision to England’s Michael (Venom) Page last time out in February. Twelve of his wins have come by knockout.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 14, 2025.