Nobody expected the UFC’s Qatar debut to feel like a turning point. It was supposed to be a scenic experiment, a new market, a clean card, a calm entry into the Middle East. Instead, UFC Fight Night 265 erupted into one of the most thrilling cards of the year. The shift was instant: the prelims had barely begun when the crowd energy flipped from polite anticipation to roaring chaos.

And as Kyoji Horiguchi walked into the Octagon for his first UFC fight in nine years, fans realized they weren’t watching just another Fight Night; they were witnessing a statement event.

Four of the five main-card fights ended inside the distance, and three of those finishes from Arman Tsarukyan, Kyoji Horiguchi, and Waldo Cortes-Acosta earned $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses, underlining just how ex

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