Abu Dhabi Warriors 2 Report
Thousands rock the IPIC Arena as the region’s biggest MMA championship concludes amidst spectacular showdowns and fanfare. Abu Dhabi Warriors successfully claimed the title as one of the UAE’s most exciting sporting events, as 20 MMA gladiators went head on, at the IPIC Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on March 26.
Fans thronged the IPIC Arena in Abu Dhabi to witness what was one of the UAE’s most sensational and action-packed Mixed Martial Art (MMA) fight nights. The event’s key sponsors were UAE Jiu-Jitsu, Star FM, International Golden Group, AD Sports and Palm Sports.
The second Abu Dhabi Warriors Fighting Championship saw some of the world’s best fighters compete in a series of 10 thrilling bouts, including lightweight (under 70 kg), middleweight (under 84kg) and heavyweight (under 120kg).
The competition’s heavily stacked fight card saw some of the event favorites make MMA history. The evening started with the featherweight clash between Yuan Ye (China) and Yun Ho-Young (South Korea), with Yuan Ye taking top honours after a unanimous decision. Rene Wollinger (Austria) battled Max Nunes (Sweden) in the middleweight category. Nunes, who is being regarded as one of Europe’s top prospects in the middleweight division, won the fight via TKO in Round 3 with a vicious left knee-left hook combination. David Matosevich (Croatia) challenged Vaso Bakocevic (Montenegro) in the catchweight category, with David Matosevich ceding defeat after Bakocevic ground and pounded him in Round 1. Jesse Ronson (Canada) fought Gadji Zaipulaev (Russia) in the lightweight class and won the fight with one of the slickest moves of the evening. Ronson submitted the Russian with a standing Guillotine choke. Another lightweight class encounter brought UFC veteran Waylon Lowe (USA) and Mateusz Teodorczuk (Poland) face to face, with Waylon Lowe making his mark as the better fighter.
The other middleweight fighters that went to combat were Rodrigo Ribeiro (Brazil) versus Jim Wallhead (United Kingdom), with Jim Wallhead emerging as the dominant force. Wallhead knocked Ribeiro through the ropes with a thunderous punch. Two of the other clashes in the middleweight category between French kickboxing expert Xavier Foupa-Pokam and Moldavian fighter Pavel Doroftei, and Ryuta Sakurai (Japan) and Svetlozar Savov (Bulgaria) brought the crowd to its feet with power-packed endings. Foupa-Pokam and Savov triumphed in these fights.
The highlights of the evening were the heavyweight showdowns between former Strikeforce heavyweight prospect Brett Rogers (USA) and Derrick Mehmen (USA) and Baga Agaev (Russia) versus Mike Kyle (USA). Fans watched in wonder as the MMA superstars punched, kicked and grappled their way to a well-earned victory. Mehmen and Kyle were crowned heavyweight champions as the evening ended. The evening was a clear success with fans eagerly waiting to hear about the prospect of more such fights being held in the UAE.
Lubomir Guedjev, Managing Director, was very happy with the response to the second edition of the championship. He said, “This competition has put the UAE on the international map in the arena of MMA. We are thrilled and proud to promote MMA in the region through a platform such as Abu Dhabi Warriors. The competition showcases the skills and sportsmanship of international and local fighters in the true spirit of MMA, based on the values of respect, honour, commitment and personal development.’’
“Abu Dhabi Warriors is also committed to supporting the development of youth and sports in the UAE. By increasing interest in this sport in the UAE, we will help encourage and develop fighters on a local level, thus promoting the UAE’s reputation in the field of combat sport.”
For more details on the winners, visit AD Warriors Facebook page. Follow @ADWarriors on Twitter to keep track of all the latest Abu Dhabi Warriors updates.
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