News
UAE Warriors 23 & 24 Fight Cards
UAE Warriors returns this week with another exciting double-header of events with UAE Warriors 23: Arabia 5 and UAE Warriors 24 taking place at the Jiu Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, October 28 and Friday, October 29, respectively.
These two events will lead into UFC 267 which takes place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, October 30.
UAE Warriors 24 – Friday, October 29
Brazil’s Vinicius de Oliveira (16-2) defends his bantamweight title against EFC champion Sylvester Chipfumbu (7-2) in the main event of while South Korea’s Do Gyeom Lee (8-3) defends his featherweight crown against Titan FC champ Ali AlQaisi (10-5).
Elsewhere on the card, PFL & Bellator veteran Andre Fialho (13-3) will be aiming to extend his recent winning streak as he faces UFC veteran Stefan Sekulic (14-4), top Polish fighter Daniel Skibinski (18-5) takes on Tahir ‘Tank’ Abdullaev (11-1), and Brazilian veteran Handesson Ferreira (16-3) meets EFC champion Themba Gorimbo (9-2).
UAE Warriors 23: Arabia 5 – Thursday, October 28
In continuation of UAE Warriors’ goal to help grow the sport in this part of the world, UAE Warriors 23: Arabia 5 will provide a platform for fighters of Arabian heritage. In the main event Iraq’s Hussein Salem (7-3) clashes with ‘The Widow Maker’ Yousif Ghrairi (8-2) and Mohamed ‘King John’ Juma (8-1) collides with the returning Sofiane Boukichou (6-4) in the co-main event.
In addition to the above the card will feature a mixture of fan favourites and rising prospects including Youssef Wehbe (8-7) vs. Yassin Najid (8-3), Lina Fayyad (2-0), Omran Chabaan (1-1), and an exciting match-up between Ahmed Raouf (4-1) & Fouad Al Shami (3-0).
See below for the full fight cards.
UAE Warriors 24 Fight Card
Main Event
UAE Warriors Bantamweight Title
Champion Vinicius de Oliveira (16-2) vs. Sylvester Chipfumbu (7-2)
Co-Main Event
UAE Warriors Featherweight Title
Champion Do Gyeom Lee (8-3) vs. Ali AlQaisi (10-5)
Welterweight
Andre Fialho (13-3) vs. Stefan Sekulic (11-4)
Welterweight
Daniel Skibinski (18-5) vs. Tahir Abdullaev (11-1)
Catchweight 194 lb
Tarek Suleiman (11-7) vs. KB Bhullar (9-2)
Welterweight
Mahir Mamedov (19-1) vs. Magomed Magomedov (5-0)
Bantamweight
Soo Young Yoo (7-1) vs. Sarvadzhon Hamidov (11-0)
Welterweight
Handesson Ferreira (16-3) vs. Themba Gorimbo (9-2)
Lightweight
John Mitchell (3-0) vs. Konstantinos Ntelis (6-1)
Middleweight
Imamshafi Aliev (6-0) vs. Naglis Kanisauskas (4-0)
Bantamweight
Victor Nunes (7-4) vs. Ali Taleb (4-0)
Middleweight
Zaakir Badat (3-0) vs. Jonathan Wernz (1-0)
Women’s Strawweight
Loveth Young (3-1) vs. Larissa Carvalho (3-1)
Catchweight 159 lb
Amru Magomedov (3-0) vs. Ruslan Bolkvadze (2-2)
UAE Warriors 23: Arabia 5 Fight Card
Main Event
Featherweight
Hussein Salem (7-3) vs. Youssef Ghairi (8-2)
Co-Main Event
Heavyweight
Mohamed Juma (8-1) vs. Sofiane Boukichou (6-4)
Flyweight
Nawras Abzakh (7-4) vs. Mohamed Gamal (7-3)
Welterweight
Youssef Wehbe (8-7) vs. Yassin Najid (8-3)
Lightweight
Nart Abida (1-0) vs. Nabil Igli (0-0)
Flyweight
Hadi Omar Al Hussaini (2-0) vs. Hasan Abdelhafez (6-4)
Catchweight 121 lb
Lina Fayyad (2-0) vs. Mona Ftouhi (0-1)
Welterweight
Kher Khalifa Eshoushan (1-0) vs. Omran Chabaan (1-1)
Bantamweight
Ahmed Raouf (4-1) vs. Fouad Al Shami (3-0)
Flyweight
Mohamed Al Katheeri (1-0) vs. Mahmoud Atef (1-0)
Middleweight
Hassan Elmir (0-0) vs. Ferhat Abkari (0-0)
News
STYLEBENDER PRAISES POATAN
It seems Alex Pereira is on a lot of minds of late. His former nemesis ‘Stylebender’ Israel Adesanya has been speaking about him this week and, rather surprisingly, heaped praise on the Brazilian.
The pair have shared an intense rivalry throughout their respective kickboxing and mixed martial arts careers, with Pereira beating Adesanya three times before ‘The Last Stylebender’ finally got the edge over ‘Poatan’ in their last meeting a year ago.
Pereira won their first meeting in the kickboxing ring by decision back in 2016 and then knocked out Adesanya in a rematch eleven months later.
He then finished Adesanya in the fifth round at UFC 281 to claim the middleweight title in only his sixth professional MMA bout, before Adesanya reclaimed the belt a few months later with a devastating right hook.
Adesanya went on to lose the belt to Sean Strickland and has since been on a self imposed sabbatical from the sport. He was an interested spectator as Pereira moved up to the light heavyweight division, before winning and then defending the belt in that division too.
Speaking with former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson on his YouTube channel this week, Adesanya had nothing but praise for Pereira, and insists the Brazilian brings out the best in him:
“He’s a special fighter” said Adesanya. “He’s a special human being. What he’s done in this game, in fighting, and for his life as well, I’ll always respect him. I’m grateful for those moments because, for me, it taught me so much about myself and where I can go”.
Despite losing the first three fights in their series, Adesanya insists the fights were closer than that record suggests:
“First fight in China, I thought I won. These casuals don’t. These plebs don’t. I thought I won. Even he thought I won until he got his hand raised. Second fight, I’m beating his ass and he gets me. Again in New Your (UFC 281) I’m beating him. Rocked him, took him down, held him down, beat him and he gets me…I just knew that I can beat this guy”.
With Adesanya rumoured to be coming back to challenge Dricus Du Plessis for the 185lb title, and Alex Pereira seemingly looking upwards toward the heavyweight division for his next challenge, it seems the pair are out of each other’s crosshairs…for now at least.
News
JAMAHAL HILL WANTS REVENGE
Despite being just two weeks removed from his defeat to Alex Pereira in the main event at UFC 300, Jamahal Hill is climbing straight back on the horse and already has his next fight lined up. ‘Sweet Dreams’ is scheduled to face Khalil Roundtree Jr at UFC 303 on June 29th.
The card will be headlined by the long-awaited return of ‘The Notorious’ Conor McGregor, and Hill has elected to step straight back into fight camp rather than sit on the sidelines and recover from the devastating first round knockout he suffered at the hands of Pereira.
Rountree will be coming into this bout on a five-fight winning streak and has finished seven of his 9 UFC victories by knockout. Sitting at #8 in the UFC’s light heavyweight rankings, Rountree will surely see a victory over a former champion like Hill as a short cut to a title shot.
Given that Hill will likely have received a 60-day medical suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission, and there are only 77 days separating UFCs 300 and 303, there are certainly questions to be raised about the decision of Hill and his team to take this fight.
Hill explained in an interview with The Schmo that he sees the proximity of the two fights being a positive for his physical preparations, and that he is focused on avenging the loss to Pereira:
“I’m already in good shape” he explained. “I’m feeling good, heading into another camp just makes sense, I get to go into a camp in shape instead of going into camp off a layoff so I think that’ll be a huge plus and will help me go out and put on the performance I need to against Khalil Rountree to put myself back in position to get that Alex Pereira fight back.
“It’s about getting back to that fight, I want to fight Alex again just because of the narrative surrounding it ”
Hill originally won the 205lb title after defeating Pereira’s coach Glover Teixeira over five rounds at UFC 283 in January of 2023. He then ruptured his Achilles tendon last July and vacated the belt which Pereira won by beating Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295 in November.
News
Muay Thai Legends Liam Harrison And Seksan Set For Dream Match At ONE 168
After much deliberation, striking veterans Liam Harrison and Seksan Or Kwanmuang have finally found a date for their highly anticipated clash.
The pair will meet in a 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai contest when ONE Championship returns to the U.S. for ONE 168: Denver on Saturday, 7th September.
The event inside Denver, Colorado’s Ball Arena is already stacking up to be one of the biggest cards of the year for the world’s largest martial arts organization, and the addition of this matchup will only increase the hype among martial arts fans.
Harrison has been on the sidelines for some time now. He suffered a worrying knee injury when he challenged former ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Nong-O Hama for the gold at ONE on Prime Video 1 in August 2022, and he had to overcome further complications before thinking about a return to action.
The British striking legend will have a chance to shake off the cobwebs before colliding with Seksan, however, as he is scheduled to make his way back to ONE for a battle with Katsuki Kitano at ONE 167: Stamp vs. Zamboanga on 8th June.
“Hitman” will need all the preparation he can get for his match with Seksan. The former Rajadamnern Stadium and WBC Muay Thai World Champion has built a fearsome reputation in ONE Championship over the last 15 months, given that he amassed eight consecutive wins after his debut last January.
Seksan appeared unstoppable in the promotion until he met Japanese star Yutaro Asashi at ONE Friday Fights 58 earlier this month.
After three thrilling rounds of Muay Thai, the Thai veteran fell to a unanimous decision loss, which means he’ll be charged up for a triumphant return to form against Harrison.
And with “Hitman” keen to find his way back to the top in ONE, their clash in Denver on 7th September is all but guaranteed to be a barnburner.
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