Dubai: The Xtreme Kombat League (XKL) will have its first-ever Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) title fights in the region during the Dubai Shopping Festival.
The MMA title fights have been scheduled for February 20, 2010 at the Dubai Airport Expo Centre.
MMA fans across the region will get their first ever opportunity to see some of the world's leading fighters competing for real title belts.
MMA is incredibly popular all around the world and is the most-watched sport in North America and is now considered the world's fastest growing sport.
"We're anticipating a huge crowd at the event," Eric Rafik, president and CEO of XKL told Gulf News during a recent visit to Dubai.
Reality show
Fighters from around the world have qualified to earn their place in the finals in Dubai.
The qualifiers were staged under the banner of ‘The Road To Dubai' at The Convocation Centre, Eastern Michigan University, Detroit, USA and the winners are slated to fly to Dubai to take part in an exciting reality television show, The Xtreme Fighter.
Filmed on the beaches of Dubai, and set against desert landscapes and the architectural skyline, the show will be broadcast around the world, and will set the stage for the league championship belt fights that will be staged at Airport Expo Dubai during DSF 2010.
Rafik is planning a truly world-class event that will set new standards for the industry.
"Everything about this event is designed to create maximum excitement and deliver an MMA experience that will be truly unforgettable," Rafik said.
"As well as bringing the best of the best MMA fighters here to compete, there will be an unprecedented half-time show that will feature big-name international celebrity musicians, breathtaking light shows and professional dancers."
MMA events, which feature world-class athletes, many of whom are past world champions in their specific martial arts, invariably attract A-list actors, professional fighters, superstar athletes and socialites, having successfully bridged the gap between social classes.
"The Middle East represents a new and potentially huge target audience for MMA," stated Rafik.
Charity pledge
"The Road to Dubai will fill the void that currently exists between fans across the region and the rest of the world. Our objective is to set the standards for the sport, and to regulate the rules and codes, bringing complete integrity and professionalism to the sport."
XKL is also committed to serve the local community, and has pledged a significant contribution of its earnings to charity and community groups.
"We also see this as a perfect opportunity to attract new visitors to Dubai during DSF, while giving regular visitors and residents even more excitement," Rafik stated.
More than one-off event
He promised that the Dubai event will not be a one-off thing as he uses his business experience and unique vision to set up long-term financial and pension plans for the athletes in the league.
"This model is creating waves in the sports industry, as traditionally, athletes are neglected after a few short years of glory and tragically left penniless, in their later years," he pointed out.
"XKL's plan in Dubai is more than just a one-off event. We have established a local office [on Shaikh Zayed Road] with a mandate to introduce the sport at a grass-roots level by taking the fitness and conditioning programmes to the schools, local martial art studios, law enforcement agencies and the army," Rafik added.
Dubai Eric Rafik, president and CEO of the Xtreme Kombat League (XKL) has been setting trends for MMA since 2001 and has been heavily involved in the shaping of the sport from its early beginnings.
Rafik is well aware that mixed martial arts (MMA), now considered the world's fastest growing sport with audiences that exceed those of the National Football League (NFL) in the United States, is here to make its mark, and will draw the world's attention to a sport that produces the very finest athletes who have incredibly high skill levels.
XKL has put together the top people in the industry to ensure global success. The top promoters and the best matchmakers have been roped in to create a true league for MMA, where pound-for-pound fighters in each weight class from around the world compete for supremacy.
The ultimate test for these fighters who are only too keen to prove they are the best in their respective weight classes will now play out in Dubai with the title belt fights being decided during an event that will coincide with the Dubai Shopping Festival.
MMA events are a magnet for renowned athletes, many of whom are past world champions in their specific martial arts disciplines, besides attracting top actors, professional fighters, superstar athletes and socialites, almost bridging the gap between social classes.
Popularity stakes
The current annual budget for HBO Sports is approximately $75 million (Dh275 million) and that doesn't include the salaries of full-time employees who are listed on a different budget line.
In 2007 Spike TV had its best year ever for pay-per-view. Spike TV got 4.1 million buys and $255 million in PPV revenue from its events in 2007.
Sports Illustrated quoted that of the ten highest rated pay-per-view events, seven were MMA events.
An added benefit is the huge global exposure that Dubai will receive in the build-up to next year's title fights at the Airport Expo Dubai, and special air tickets and other promotions have been given away to the audience at the qualifying heats in Detroit, giving them the chance to win a trip for the title fights and experience Dubai for themselves.
MMA is acknowledged as the world's fastest growing sport, attracting audiences that now exceed those of the NFL in the US, and today generates billions of dollars through merchandise sales and pay-per-view broadcasts that have broken all previous records in the last few years.
XKL, with the solid support of key sporting industry figures and the endorsement of world famous sports personalities including Mohammad Ali, Fedor Emalianko, Pat Miletech, Ken Shamrock and Dan Severn.
A web link to a scientific analysis done by National Geographic on the science of fight and MMA, concludes that Mixed Martial artists are some of the finest athletes in the world. http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/fight-science#tab-Videos/05036_00
For more information, log on to www.xtremekombatleague.com or contact Viju Jacob, V-P, Marketing, Middle East, XKL, on 050-7747944.
