Dubai: A total of 11 fights, including a women’s bout, will be part of the Golden Cage Events and Promotion’s “Global Fighting Championship 1” to be held at Hall No.8 of Dubai World Trade Centre on Thursday.
Featuring some of the top fighters from across the world, including Brazil, Poland, UK, Russia, Sweden, Iran, Uzbekistan, Philippines and Thailand, the fight night is expected to present spectators with the excitement and thrill that normally goes along with mixed martial arts and Thai Boxing.
Of the eleven bouts slated for the night, seven will be Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), while the remaining four will feature Thai Boxing. Action will get under way at 7pm.
“All over the world, martial arts have shown a huge ascendancy on popularity and we feel that this is the best time to cash in on its growing status in Dubai and the region,” noted Ghazi Madani, Director of Sports Tourism, Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
“The Middle East in particular has a vast following in Mixed Martial Arts with many youngsters engaged in training, and we at the Dubai Sports Council have always been encouraging such activities that bring out the best in our youth,” he added.
The “Global Fighting Championship 1” is being put together by former three-time MMA World Champion Amir Shafiypour of Golden Cage. Shafiypour has the distinction of handling more than 300 professional sports events all over the globe and he is convinced Dubai can match, if not overtake Las Vegas as the boxing capital of the world in due course.
“I believe that we can provide a platform in the Middle East and beyond for top quality martial arts and entertainment events,” Shafiypour noted.
“It’s just a question of time when Dubai can be the place to be for boxers from all over the world. We have just about made a start. Eventually, we will have a dedicated band of viewers and followers,” he said.
The “Global Fighting Championship 1” is being held under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Ccouncil.
