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UFC’s return to Etihad Arena highlights the city’s emerging role on the global combat sports calendar
bay today, our reporter
As fighting fans around the world know by now, Abu Dhabi will host UFC 280: Oliveira vs Makhachev on October 22nd. The highly anticipated Fight Night includes two title fights and runs as the headline event for Abu Dhabi Showdown Week (ADSW) 2022 from 17-23 October.
The week-long festival of mixed martial arts and lifestyle events is the fourth ADSW to the UAE capital since the Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT Abu Dhabi) announced a groundbreaking five-year partnership with the UFC.
The UFC’s return to the Etihad Arena highlights the city’s emerging role on the global combat sports calendar.
UFC President Dana White has dubbed the UAE capital “the UFC’s international home base”, and the UAE’s reputation has grown globally, from jiu-jitsu and boxing champions to Muay Thai and judo. For the people of the region, however, combat sports have been popular in Abu Dhabi for over a quarter of a century.
UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan studied in California in 1998, when he watched Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie dominate some of the earliest UFC events. Inspired by training Jiu-Jitsu, Sheikh Tahnoon returned to the UAE with the intention of spreading the word and started planning to create the Abu Dhabi Fighting Club Championship (ADCC).
Since then, Jiu-Jitsu in the UAE has grown into the country’s national sport, with many national, regional and international events taking place in the country. Jiu-jitsu has also become an integral part of the school and national service curriculum, supported by national leaders and the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation (UAEJJF).
Abu Dhabi is constantly rolling out mats, hosting events such as the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, Asian Championships and ADWPJJC.
In 2009, UAEJJF hosted the inaugural Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships (ADWPJJC), which attracted the participation of athletes from all over the world. Emirates Faisal Al Ketbi won a gold medal in front of the then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, marking the start of a larger investment in the sport. More than 200,000 Emiratis of all ages and skill levels are now actively participating.
Abu Dhabi has continuously introduced floor mats and held events such as the Jiu-Jitsu World Championships, Asian Championships, ADWPJJC, etc. A number of UAE male and female champions have successfully represented their countries and won various medals. Multiple domestic championships and training programs also contributed to this growth.
While jiu-jitsu has undoubtedly been the driving force behind the development of combat sports in the UAE, both Muay Thai and Taekwondo have seen huge growth in Abu Dhabi in recent years. The UAE Muay Thai and Taekwondo Federation, established in May 2017 as the official governing body for sport in the country, has made significant strides in developing strike-based sport and bringing its pillars together in a way that raises public awareness.
In June, the IFMA World Muay Thai Championships – the annual amateur Muay Thai competition – was held at the National Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, attracting more than 600 young athletes from six continents. While Thailand topped the medal table, the UAE showed its growing strength, finishing second with hardware, four silvers and three bronzes.
Judo is also very active in Abu Dhabi and there is no doubt that Sergi Utoma made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics, winning his second UAE medal in Brazil in the men’s 81kg category. Bronze medal in the game.
Due to growing interest, the UAE hosted the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam in November last year, attracting 223 judo athletes from 41 countries on five continents. It will return this October.
The presence of champion boxing is also growing in the capital. In May, some of the biggest names in boxing and mixed martial arts – including Floyd Mayweather and Anderson Silva – were in Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island during the Abu Dhabi Boxing Combine. Tihad Arena clashed in front of sold-out spectators.
The venue will once again be in the boxing spotlight when it hosts the WBA light heavyweight title fight between Dmitry Bivol and Gilberto “Zuldo” Ramirez on November 5 Focus. Organised by DCT Abu Dhabi and Matchroom Boxing, the fight saw the two undefeated boxers take on the other, once again drawing the attention of global audiences to the UAE capital. This is the first event of the new Champions Series and promises to be the first of many high-profile events in the Emirates.
With a solid foundation in combat sports, Abu Dhabi’s growing relationship with MMA is almost inevitable. While the 2019 partnership between the UFC and DCT Abu Dhabi was a landmark agreement for both parties, this is not the first time the fighting series has been involved in the UAE capital – UFC 112: Invincible 2010 held on Yas Island in 2014, while Fight Night 39: Nogueira vs Nelson took place in 2014.
The 2019 partnership has fostered significant growth in MMA across the country, paving the way for the UAE United Martial Arts Federation to establish a committee (UAE Mixed Martial Arts Federation) in June 2021 to coordinate all combat sports activities.
The organization aims to develop a variety of mixed martial arts disciplines to enhance presence, ethics and values, and to develop a new generation of athletes capable of competing on the national and international stage.
The MMA Youth World Championships will be held at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi in August 2022, the second IMMAF event to be held in the UAE.
At the Youth World Championships, the UAE national team won gold in what is widely regarded as a very successful event. The event attracted a record 486 participants from 41 countries, making Jasem Al Hosani the UAE’s first global champion. Under a three-year agreement with IMMAF, Abu Dhabi will host the Youth World Championships until 2024.
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