ABU DHABI With Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) catching up quickly in the UAE, Brazilian ace fighter Rodrigo “Ximbica” Ribeiro feels it’s just a matter of time before the UAE starts producing top fighters.
“The interest is tremendous. The past few years have seen a huge turnaround with lots of them following the sport,” said Ribeiro who will take on Jim Wallhead from the United Kingdom in the Abu Dhabi Warriors Fighting Championship at the IPIC Arena in Zayed Sports City on Thursday.
The spectacular MMA championship will bring together 20 fighters who will face off in 10 fights.
Huge change
Training the UAE Armed forces in Jiu-Jitsu, Ribeiro, a 4-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, said: “I have been in the UAE for three years and I have seen the huge change with most of them wanting to pursue MMA as a career. The number of shows has increased in the UAE which shows the interest is growing. Youngsters are following the sport seriously and I’m confident we will have some good fighters coming through the ring very soon.”
Looking forward to his fight, Ribeiro said he was not too worried about his opponent and was confident of putting up a good show. “I don’t watch too much of my opponent and just pick up basic details. I know he (Jim Wallhead) is a judo fighter and has a good ground game but I can handle him.”
Growing fast
Managing director of Abu Dhabi Warriors Lubomir Guedjev said: “MMA is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, and among the most up and coming in the UAE.
“With Abu Dhabi Warriors back for the second time, we aim to help establish Abu Dhabi as a landmark for the international MMA tournaments through bringing in new talent and supporting the development of youth and sports in the UAE.
“We are here to support the growing popularity of this sport and strive to feature the best that MMA has to offer; we want to provide our fans the ultimate platform where they can truly experience the force and dedication behind this sport and take home a learning experience,” added Guedjev.
