UFC Fight Night: Holly Holm and Irene Aldana touch down in Abu Dhabi - in pictures

Female fighters headline the first of three Fight Nights at 'Return to Fight Island'

UFC fighters are taken throgugh their safety brief. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Charles Jourdain arrives on Fight Island. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Holly Holm Arrives in the Return to Fight Island safe zone. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Irene Aldana is on UFC Fight Island ready for her match-up with Holly Holm. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Safety first for the fighters ahead of UFC Fight Night Holm vs Aldana in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Safety first for the fighters ahead of UFC Fight Night Holm vs Aldana in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Safety first for the fighters ahead of UFC Fight Night Holm vs Aldana in Abu Dhabi. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Dequan Townsend arrives on Fight Island. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Casey Kenney gives the thumbs up. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Casey Kenney arrives on Fight Island. Courtesy DCT Abu Dhabi

Holly Holm and Irene Aldana arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of their headline bout at UFC Fight Night on Yas Island on Sunday.

The second of the five-event series of Return to Fight Island pits American Holm, the first woman to inflict defeat on UFC great Ronda Rousey, against her Mexican challenger at bantamweight.

Both fighters are now in their 48-hour quarantine in preparation for their eagerly awaited match-up at the Flash Forum.

Other main card competitors including Julianna Pena and Germaine de Randamie also checked in, along with Dequan Townsend, Jinh Yu Frey, who were all given a safety briefing on arrival in the capital.

Sunday's event is the first of three consecutive Fight Nights following a successful UFC 253 at the same venue in which middleweight champion Israel Adesanya beat Paulo Costa by second-round TKO in the headline bout.

The series closes on October 24 with a stacked UFC 254 card as Khabib Nurmagomedov makes his long-awaited return to the octagon to face Justin Gaethje.

____________________

Best images from UFC 253 in Abu Dhabi