Both men are bidding to win their third world titles, a feat which has never been achieved in the history of the event.

Bahrain's Russian-born super heavyweight Kharkhachaev triumphed at his home World Championships in 2018 and 2019 and is a big favourite to win again at the Jiu Jitsu Arena here.

He is undefeated, and brings a sambo background and huge punching power to the United Arab Emirates capital.

Challengers to his crown here include Russian Shamsutdin Makhmudov and Kazakhstan's Rassul Khatayev, the world silver medallist in 2019.

Kazakh strawweight Zhubanysh also triumphed in 2018 and 2019 but his preparations for attempting the treble have been far from ideal.

He was forced to miss August's European Open in Kazan with a hand injury, and was also denied the chance of earning his third world title on home soil after the event was moved from Kazakhstan to Abu Dhabi due to the COVID-19 crisis.

He will face competition from Eduard Kostrytsia of Ukraine, who won the World Cup title in Prague in September, and Russian Farkhod Rakhmonaliev who won world bronze in 2019.

Fifty-six countries are represented here in all, with the venue close to Yas Island - nicknamed Fight Island when the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) brought back MMA events there amid the pandemic.

The total number of athletes is 422 but this is thought to be around 100 less than planned due to coronavirus related withdrawals.

One class particularly impacted is the women's atomweight which has been blown wide open after two main contenders dropped out after testing positive.

Neither Sweden's defending world champion Bezhan Mahmudi or Poland's Magdalena Czaban, who won the European Open in Kazan in August, are here, to leave the likes of Finland's Jenna Horto in pole position for glory.

Russia will be competing as the Russian MMA Union (RMMAU) after IMMAF signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code last month.

This means that WADA sanctions against Russia for falsifying doping data from Moscow Laboratory - including their two year ban from any World Championships - apply.

The country will nevertheless be looking for a strong haul of medals, with Shamil Kuramagomedov a threat in the men's heavyweight division.

He enters as national champion and the reigning world silver medallist, but will have to get the better of Bahrain's European Open and World Cup winner Rasul Magomedov.

In the women's featherweight division, Bahrain's Sabrina Laurentina De Sousa will defend her world title but is on a collision course for a semi-final date with another 2019 world champion.

New Zealand's Michelle Montague won the lightweight title last time out but has dropped weights to set up the tantalising prospect of the two big hitters squaring off.

De Sousa got the better of Montague in Kazan so the New Zealander will be desperate for revenge if given the chance this time.

On the other side of the draw, Norway's World Cup champion Ceciile Bolander will also hope to contend.

The men's welterweight is another division where a defending champion returns, with Ramazan Gitinov of Bahrain hoping to retain his crown.

He won in Kazan and is considered as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters, but Tajikistan's World Cup champion Jovidon Mahmudov will be among his rivals.

Hoping to take over from Montague in the women's lightweight class will be her team mate Mel Webster, who the former beat in the 2019 final after both athletes watched officials perform a haka before the fight.

Sweden's World Cup winner Yrsa Sandin is on the other side of the draw but the RMMAU's European Open champion Mariya Shirkanova is among the dropouts.

In the women's strawweight, Sweden's World Cup winner Josefine Modig and Bahrain's European Open champion Aieza Ramos Bertolso will prove a threat, with big names such as German Anna Gaul and Sweden's Nina Back not in the draw.

World Cup champion Mansur Magomedov of Bahrain is among the likely winners in the men's flyweight, while in the women's equivalent division Prague winner Millie Eriksson of Sweden and Kazan champion Beatriz Consuli Diniz of Bahrain look set to collide.

The women's bantamweight includes contenders such as World Cup silver medallist Kerry Ann Vernon of Ireland, who lost to compatriot Shauna Bannon in the Prague final.

Bannon is here only as an IMMAF brand ambassador but Poland's European Open winner Paulina Kontna does make the field.

Fidel Gramiccia of Italy has emerged as an athlete to beat in the men's bantamweight class after his win in Prague, but European Open winner Tynyshtyk Zhanibek of Kazakhstan will be among those looking to stop him.

In the men's featherweight there is much interest here in Japan's sole competitor at these Championships, Reo Yamaguchi.

After losing a trilogy of finals in the junior divisions to Muhammad Mokaev, it could finally be his time for glory in the senior ranks as his British rival has joined the UFC.

Yamaguchi will meet Spain's Prague winner Juan Izquierdo in the last 16 if he wins his opening contest, however, while Sweden's 2019 world bronze medallist Daniyal Shamkalov is also in the draw.

The men's lightweight division features contenders including Russian national champion Salamat Isbulaev and Ukraine's World Cup winner Ivan Kurelaru.

Jordan's Hazem Kayyali is one to watch in the men's middleweight after his victory in Prague, with Estonia's two-time World Judo Championships competitor Kristjan Toniste an interesting addition elsewhere in the draw.

The men's light heavyweight class features Ukraine's Dmytro Babynskyi among the threats.

Other talking points here include a return to the World Championships for Brazil, a country with strong MMA heritage but who have not put forward a team for this event since 2014.

Their squad is being led by twin brothers Rodrigo and Rogério Minotouro, retired legends of the sport who both enjoyed strong careers in the UFC.

The event begins tomorrow with the first knock-out matches, leading up to the finals on Saturday (January 29).