MMA: Strong Arab flavour at UAE Warriors 13 in Dubai
Englishman Lewis-Parry faces UFC veteran Fabio Maldanado on Saturday
Dubai: MMA seems to be the flavour for the next couple of months with the Return to UFC Fight Island in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai joining the party to host UAE Warriors 13 for the first time on Saturday, September 25.
The stacked 11-fight card will showcase some of the sport’s best emerging talent and will be highlighted by the main event featuring undefeated Englishman Chi Lewis-Parry who will be defending his heavyweight championship against UFC veteran Fabio Maldanado.
The fight card features athletes from 18 nations including a women’s flyweight bout between Greece’s Christina Stelliou (6-3-0) and unbeaten Scottish fighter Casey O’Neill (4-0-0).
The event will be broadcast live on Abu Dhabi Sports as well as on UAE Warriors YouTube Channel.
The fight night is unique as it features multiple Arab stars including Abdulla Al Bousheiri, Agshin Babaev, Tarek Suleiman, Hashem Arkhagha, Islam Mamedov, and Omar Hussein.
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UAE Warriors has been successful in nurturing Arab talent who have had a global impact on the sport. Over the time UAE Warriors has grown into a major destination for Arab fighters in the region.
The promotion was among the first in the sports sector in the region to adapt to the challenges raised by the COVID-19 pandemic and host events successfully.
The event also marks the largest in the region after the commercial success of the Fight Island series hosted by the UFC and the Abu Dhabi Tourism Department.
Among multiple factors that has contributed to the rise of Abu Dhabi as the top destination for MMA in the region is the record-shattering pay-per-view buys of UFC 251.
Also added to the UAE Warriors card on Saturday a heavyweight bout pitting Oli Thompson (22-10) against Chris Barnett (20-6).
The other attraction is a featherweight fight pitting Juares Dea (7-2) against Xavier Alaoui (10-3).
Fight Card
Heavyweight: Chi Lewis-Parry v Fabio Maldonado
Welterweight: Abdulla Al Bousheiri v Dean Barry
Featherweight: Agshin Babaev v Gi Bum Moon
Middleweight: Piotr Walawski v Tarek Suleiman
Flyweight: Christina Stelliou v Casey O’Neill
Middleweight: Hashem Arkhagha v Yuri Fraga
Heavyweight: Oli Thompson v Chris Barnett
Featherweight: Juares Dea v Xavier Alaoui
Lightweight: Kyung Pyo Kim v Islam Mamedov
Middleweight: Omar Hussein v Sasha Palatnikov
Bantamweight: Topnoi Tigermuaythai v Isaac Pimentel