If you were anywhere near Yas Island you probably heard the Irish fans chanting ole ole ole.
Hundreds were in voice and in situ as the Notorious Conor McGregor made his return to the octagon and his debut in the UAE.
Wherever the Irishman goes, legions follow and they follow in numbers.
As singing and chanting took place throughout the night, even as the action ran on in the prelims, it seems that everyone was waiting for the main event to let the atmosphere explode.
Around the Etihad Arena there was a buzz, as thousands (2,600 according to Dana White in the post-fight press conference) were inside for the first main event of 2021.
Early prelims saw wins for Amir Albazi and Movsar Evloev, thanks to the judges scorecards.
In the prelims, Marcin Prachino, Brad Tavares and Arman Tsarukyan all took the win from a decision after three rounds while Julianna Pena won by submission in the third against Sara McMann.
On to the main card and the noise volumes increased. Irish flags flew across the arena and the fans were in full voice waiting for the main event to start proper.
But there were four fights to come before McGregor would take to the stage.
First, up-and-comer and highly rated Amanda Ribas faced off against fellow Brazilian straw weight Marina Rodriguez, but succumbed to a second round TKO.
Next, Andrew Sanchez faced off against Makhmud Muradov, who had his hand raised in the third round after a TKO.
With the backing of the Celtic fans, Scotland’s Joanne Calderwood secured a victory in the third fight of the main card over Jessica Eye with a decision at the end of three rounds.
Upping the ante, there was a real sense of anticipation in the air for the co-main event.
Dan Hooker, who lost out to Dustin Poirier last time out was facing a UFC debutant in Michael Chandler.
The former Bellator lightweight champion had a point to prove and he did so in style, securing a round one knockout.
And so it was on to the main event.
Fans flocked to the entry to get as close as possible to McGregor, who soaked up huge applause on his way to the ring, clearly with the backing of the majority of the fans in the stands.
Shrugging off a few boos from the Irish fans, Poirier looked focus and relaxed on his walk to the Octagon, a big change from the last time the pair met and the Irishman triumphed six years ago.
After an opening round that saw McGregor ease his way into the fight and probably win the round despite being taken down, it was on to round two and a huge moment in the sport.
Sensing blood, Poirier struck the Irishman with a clean hook and followed up with a flurry of combinations to put McGregor on the mat and sensationally do something no other fighter in MMA has even done: knock out Mystic Mac.
The Irish fans, who had been deafening in support, were stunned. Silence filled the area, fans stood in shock as Poirier held his arms aloft, knowing he’d just achieved the biggest win of his career.
McGregor was beaten, in the second round, struggled to get to his feet but despite his reputation, was humble and gracious, lauding his opponent and looking forward to a third meeting between the two somewhere down the line.
It was the first main UFC event of the year and already it will take some beating, but there’s plenty still to come.
In the coming weeks we’ll see a welterweight title fight between Usman and Burns, a bantamweight bout between Yan and Sterling, a light heavyweight title fight between Blachowicz and Adesanya and featherweight clash featuring Nunes and Anderson.
Plus, there’s also the small matter of a heavyweight title fight and rematch between Miocic and Ngannou to look forward to all coming live from Las Vegas.
What will the UFC bring to Abu Dhabi the next time it comes calling to Fight Island?
Only Dana White will know but we can’t wait to see how he plans to top this one.
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