I hardly take vacations, so these 32 hours were like a small holiday for me," begins Varun Dhawan, who returned to the bay from Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The actor — a mixed martial arts (MMA) enthusiast — was invited as special guest of UFC 242 by Dana White, president, Ultimate Fighting Championship. "It was such a huge honour for me to attend the event," says the actor excitedly, hours after he watched Khabib Nurmagomedov defeat Dustin Poirier to continue his unbeaten streak at the championship.

It's interesting to see the role reversal as Dhawan — who enjoys massive popularity in India — turns into a fan boy when talking about his love for the combat sport. "I have been a big fan of MMA since the last few years. While in Abu Dhabi, Dana and I spoke extensively about our love for the combat sport. Dana is a cool guy. He made sure that I got the best seats right next to Khabib's family. It was such a thrilling night!"