Jesse Arnett believes he has what it takes to win a first UAE Warriors title when he faces defending champion Ali Al Qaisi in the promotion’s featherweight title bout at the Etihad Arena on Yas Island on Saturday.
The Canadian has been in the mixed martial art game for more than 11 years since turning professional and enters the title contest with a 19-8 win-loss career record.
Arnett, 38, made a winning bow in the UAE Warriors, claiming a split decision over the France-based Moroccan Elias Boudegzdame in January 2021 before going down to American and former UFC star Ray Borg by unanimous decision six months later.
Arnett bounced back and earned his title shot with a unanimous decision over the previously undefeated Russian Gadzhimurad Gasanguseynov at UAE Warriors 28 in March.
“I feel I’m better in every area of this game,” the Canadian said at the pre-fight conference. “I am a better boxer and I am a better grappler. I have a better ground game and I’m in better shape coming into this title contest.
“This is my fight to win. I’ve just got to be patient. I’ve tightened up a lot of things, I’ve got a great team behind me right now. I feel I can get him out of there inside of 15 minutes.”
Arnett acknowledged Al Qaisi as an experienced and strong opponent who holds three featherweight titles since leaving UFC following two defeats.
“He hasn’t fought anybody in the top 30 and he’s going to find out that on Saturday night,” Arnett said. “I feel I’m in good shape. At my age, I’m still here and I feel stronger than ever.”
Al Qaisi, 31, holds three featherweight titles: the UAE Warriors belt after dethroning Korean Lee Do Gyeoum, the Titan FC belt, and most recently the UAE Warriors Arabia belt when he defeated Ahmed Faress at UAE Warriors Arabia 7 on March 27.
“I’m going to defend my UAE Warriors world champion title on July 2 at the Etihad Arena. Trust me guys you shouldn’t miss this one, it will be war,” Al Qaisi wrote on his Instagram.
The 13-fight card also include the bantamweight title contest between holder Vinicius de Oliveira (17-2) of Brazil against Iraqi Ali Taleb (6-0).
The second night of the back-to-back fight card will also see three new champions crowned in the UAE Warriors Arabia on Sunday at the same venue.
Palestinian Rany Saadeh (12-4) and Lebanese Fabricio Sarraff (29-10) battle it out for the inaugural UAE Warriors Arabia bantamweight title in the main event, while Egyptian Eslam Syaha (12-2) and Algerian Laid Zerhouni (9-7) meet in the co-main event with the middleweight championship on the line.
In addition, Jordanian Nawras Abzakh (9-4) and Algerian Sami Yahia (10-4) clash for the inaugural flyweight title.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Three-day coronation
Royal purification
The entire coronation ceremony extends over three days from May 4-6, but Saturday is the one to watch. At the time of 10:09am the royal purification ceremony begins. Wearing a white robe, the king will enter a pavilion at the Grand Palace, where he will be doused in sacred water from five rivers and four ponds in Thailand. In the distant past water was collected from specific rivers in India, reflecting the influential blend of Hindu and Buddhist cosmology on the coronation. Hindu Brahmins and the country's most senior Buddhist monks will be present. Coronation practices can be traced back thousands of years to ancient India.
The crown
Not long after royal purification rites, the king proceeds to the Baisal Daksin Throne Hall where he receives sacred water from eight directions. Symbolically that means he has received legitimacy from all directions of the kingdom. He ascends the Bhadrapitha Throne, where in regal robes he sits under a Nine-Tiered Umbrella of State. Brahmins will hand the monarch the royal regalia, including a wooden sceptre inlaid with gold, a precious stone-encrusted sword believed to have been found in a lake in northern Cambodia, slippers, and a whisk made from yak's hair.
The Great Crown of Victory is the centrepiece. Tiered, gold and weighing 7.3 kilograms, it has a diamond from India at the top. Vajiralongkorn will personally place the crown on his own head and then issues his first royal command.
The audience
On Saturday afternoon, the newly-crowned king is set to grant a "grand audience" to members of the royal family, the privy council, the cabinet and senior officials. Two hours later the king will visit the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, the most sacred space in Thailand, which on normal days is thronged with tourists. He then symbolically moves into the Royal Residence.
The procession
The main element of Sunday's ceremonies, streets across Bangkok's historic heart have been blocked off in preparation for this moment. The king will sit on a royal palanquin carried by soldiers dressed in colourful traditional garb. A 21-gun salute will start the procession. Some 200,000 people are expected to line the seven-kilometre route around the city.
Meet the people
On the last day of the ceremony Rama X will appear on the balcony of Suddhaisavarya Prasad Hall in the Grand Palace at 4:30pm "to receive the good wishes of the people". An hour later, diplomats will be given an audience at the Grand Palace. This is the only time during the ceremony that representatives of foreign governments will greet the king.
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
