UFC Fight Night Baku attracted 11,000 spectators to the National Gymnastics Arena, highlighting the growing international appeal of the event, İdman.Biz reports, citing the Baku City Circuit Operating Company.
According to the organizers, demand for tickets was significantly higher than a year earlier, with all tickets selling out in record time. Around 11,000 tickets were sold, and nearly 40% were purchased by fans traveling from overseas.
Supporters from 72 countries visited Baku to attend the event, underlining the tournament's global reach.
The action inside the Octagon also lived up to expectations. UFC Fight Night Baku featured 13 bouts, nine of which ended before the final bell through knockouts or submissions. The high-paced action and spectacular finishes earned the event recognition as one of the most entertaining UFC Fight Nights of 2026.
The tournament also marked a historic milestone for Azerbaijani MMA. For the first time, four Azerbaijani fighters competed on the same UFC card, with three of them emerging victorious. Azerbaijan currently has five fighters on the UFC roster, and local organizers believe hosting regular UFC events in Baku will help produce even more athletes capable of reaching the world's leading MMA promotion.
Baku hosted a UFC Fight Night event for the second consecutive year and has already established itself as one of the promotion's key European destinations alongside London and Paris. Azerbaijan also remains the only country in the CIS, Central Asia and the South Caucasus to host UFC events. In Asia, UFC currently stages tournaments only in China, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The event took place on June 27. Azerbaijan's Tahir Abdullaev defeated Brazil's Jefferson Nascimento, Farman Hasanov earned a victory over American Eric Nolan, Nazim Sadykhov lost to Brazil's Matheus Camilo, while Rafael Fiziev capped the night by defeating Mexico's Manuel Torres in the main event.
