Dubai: The second series of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) reality TV show Al Batal premieres on Fox Movies on September 27 from 6.30pm (UAE time). Like Pop Idol, the show follows the journey of local amateur fighters in their bid to win a contract with a major promotion. One of the coaches from the show, Ray Elbe, 31, himself a veteran welterweight with 23 wins and 11 losses from 34 fights, tells Gulf News what to expect from the second season.
Gulf News: How will this season be different to the last?
Ray Elbe: In the first season all the fighters lived together and trained as one team under one set of coaches, but this season two coaches pick their fighters and train in two separate camps meeting only to fight. It’s more competitive. Also, this season there’s more focus on psychology, diet, training and conditioning methods, whereas before it was more of a one-hour commercial for Dubai.
Is there anyone from this season who could make it big?
There are three or four guys who could fight tomorrow. I thought it was going to be amateur across the board, but a few of the guys could make a legitimate career out of this.
Where will the winner of the series compete?
Al Batal has just signed a formal agreement with the One Fighting Championship (One FC). It’s an alliance which gives Al Batal the opportunity to groom talent before sending them onto a larger promotion. One FC can then showcase Arab talent on a global stage.
Has Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) got big potential in the Middle East?
There’s a history of warriors and fighting in the region, match that primal instinct with the need for healthy activity, what with the rise of obesity and diabetes, and this makes the Middle East a growing market. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has done two events in Abu Dhabi and the One FC has just done one in Dubai. These are global promotions that are now looking at the Middle East as a consumption market, which means the audience has become more educated about what the sport is all about.
How soon before we see home-grown Arab champions?
There’s a Lebanese fighter called Tarec Saffiedine in the UFC who is already top-10 in the welterweight rankings. He’s just 28-years-old and is very capable of becoming a champion, so we’re not as far away from having an Arab champion as you may think. There’s a lot of talent in the region and the good thing is people have time and money to spend on their sport and the government supports it, you only have to look at how Abu Dhabi is spreading Jiu Jitsu through local schools, and have salaries and scholarships for local fighters.
For MMA to really grow locally, people have to be able to see one of their own on the big stage but with developing opportunities the chances of this happening will only increase.
Is the market here strong enough to promote one of its own to superstardom?
Local events are getting good attendances. Dubai is a big city but it’s small in the sense everyone knows one another, it would be very easy to get a grassroots following. I believe the Middle East is very tribal and people get behind their community with pride. So, yes, I think there are opportunities, with regards sponsors and media cooperation, to help elevate Arab athletes.
