UAE’s Habibali beats three-time champion Wakeling in Abu Dhabi kickboxing – News

Turkey’s Vedat Hoduk to dedicate victory over Moldova’s Lilian Porcireanu to earthquake victims

UAE champion Elias Habibaly (centre) after the match. — Instagram

Emirati champion Ilyas Habibali defeated three-time world champion Michael Wakeling by unanimous decision at the UAM Fight Night K1 Professional Taekwondo Championships in front of the crowded Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

In the three rounds, “Tiger” Habibaly and “The Punisher” Viklin went all out. In the light heavyweight competition, punches and kicks were fought fiercely.

In a close duel where it is difficult to tell the winner, the decisive move comes in the third and final round. In less than 30 seconds, during a confrontation, Wakelin lost his balance and fell to the ground. The Englishman rose to his feet immediately, but Habibally managed to maintain the advantage with 2.5 minutes remaining, securing a unanimous decision, cheered by the local crowd.

“I’m very proud of this great achievement,” said Habibally, who extended his win-loss record to 20-3, including five knockouts.

The 31-year-old national champion noted that he had carefully studied Wackling’s game.

“It was a very tight fight and Wakelin was a great opponent. I felt it was very close. I knew it was going to be tough, but this achievement is rewarding for my hard work. Beating such a champion – World The championship – that’s fantastic. I want to dedicate the victory to the UAE leadership and the UAE people.”

In the joint main event of the night, Turkey’s Vedat Hoduk defeated his Moldovan opponent Lilian Porcireanu in a first-round knockout. In the closing moments of the first round, a flurry of body shots and a huge header sent Porcireanu to the ground.

Hoduk, a native of Istanbul, dedicated his victory to the victims of Turkey’s devastating earthquake.

“It’s been a tough week,” Hoduk, who was wrapped in a Turkish flag, said emotionally. “I’m thinking about not coming here because I know there are a lot of people in my country who need help right now. But I kept my word and I won, so I want to dedicate this to all the Turkish people and especially to all the victims who lost their lives . I will go there (Turkey) now to help as much as I can.”

Meanwhile, in the first match of the night, Mohamed Touizi, representing the United Arab Emirates, defeated Uzbekistan’s Ibrokhim Mamatkulov by unanimous decision after a three-round stoppage for the first loss of his career.

“I’m happy to get a win for the UAE,” said Tuiz, who fought at the UAM Stadium in Abu Dhabi. “I trained very hard for this game. I would like to thank all my coaches and federations for their support and now I will start preparing for the Arabian Championships on March 1.”

28 athletes from 16 countries (from Italy to Iraq, Portugal to Pakistan) participated in 14 combat events, further cementing Abu Dhabi’s status as the capital of combat sports.

Abdullah Saeed Al Neyadi, Chairman of the UAE Muay Thai and Taekwondo Federation added: “Congratulations to all the athletes, especially Ilyas and the other winners. This is the first event of the new season, so not only will we see a strong line-up of elite athletes from around the world “It’s fantastic to be able to see such great performances at the Etihad Arena. The UAE, and Abu Dhabi in particular, have built a tradition in combat sports in recent years and we are delighted to build on that and further strengthen the region.” taekwondo,” Al Neyadi added.