Robert Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images
Robert Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images
Robert Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images
Robert Whittaker stopped Ikram Aliskerov in the first round of their headline bout at UFC Fight Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Getty Images

Dana White delighted with UFC's Saudi Arabia debut as Robert Whittaker boosts title claims


Amith Passela
  • English
  • Arabic

Dana White is convinced Saudi Arabia holds huge potential as a new market for the UFC after the inaugural event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh drew 12,000 fans on Saturday.

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Former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker headlined and starred on the debut UFC Fight Night in Saudi, knocking out opponent Ikram Aliskerov in the first round. Aliskerov was a late replacement for Khamzat Chimaev after the Russian-born Swedish contender withdrew with illness.

Despite the last-minute setback of Chimaev's withdrawal, the event was a resounding success and further increased Saudi Arabia's growing status as a global sports capital, particularly within combat sports. Some of the biggest boxing fights of recent years have been staged in the kingdom, including recently the historic undisputed heavyweight world title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

Additionally, the UFC's presence in Saudi further strengthens the promotion's ties to the region. The UFC has a long-standing partnership with Abu Dhabi and will return to the Emirates for their next Fight Night on August 3.

“This is my first time and our first time ever in this market, and we had a capacity crowd here in the arena. It was a great experience,” UFC president White said.

“We sold over 12,000 seats in a new market and everywhere I've gone, there's been people from all over the world here at this event.

“So, it's been good. It was fun coming to this market. And I love how passionate Turki [Alalshikh, Saudi advisor and chairman of the General Entertainment Authority] is about combat sports and what he's looking to do here in this part of the world.

“We come into new markets like we did here and open other new markets throughout the years.”

For Whittaker, he hopes his performance in Riyadh will lead to another middleweight title shot after stopping Aliskerov in under two minutes.

The Australian ended Alikerov’s seven-fight winning streak with a stunning right followed by a perfect uppercut before pounding out for a finish in one minute 49 seconds to close the evening of the 12-fight card.

Whittaker, 33, has clawed back for a middleweight title shot since his defeat to South African Dricus Du Plessis in July last year. He bounced back with a unanimous decision over Brazilian Paulo Costa in February, and now with his impressive win over Alikserov, the Australian is closing in on another shot for the middleweight belt.

“I honestly feel like my goal in mixed martial arts, in combat sports, is to live up to my own potential,” Whittaker said after stretching his career win-loss record to 27-7.

“That's the only thing I want to achieve because I know how good I am. I'm the most dangerous middleweight on the planet. Everyone knows that. But I've got big shoes to fill. And I want to live up to my potential.

“That's the only thing I ask for every fight. Every time I step in that octagon is just to allow me to do what I train to live up to my own potential. Tonight, I feel like I did that.”

White described Whittaker as one of the “absolute best in the world” while praising Aliskerov for stepping up and taking a big fight against one of the best in the world.

“This is a business opportunity and he (Aliskerov) took up that opportunity and came up tonight but came short,” he said.

“It’s not that Ikram doesn’t have the talent to be in there. This is the first time for him in the big stage and I’m sure he felt it. Now he’s got this behind him. He’s got this experience under his belt.

“He came after a full camp. Nobody in the top 15 wanted to fight him and Whittaker took him on short notice and went in there and did what he did. He looked incredible tonight.”

How to come clean about financial infidelity
  • Be honest and transparent: It is always better to own up than be found out. Tell your partner everything they want to know. Show remorse. Inform them of the extent of the situation so they know what they are dealing with.
  • Work on yourself: Be honest with yourself and your partner and figure out why you did it. Don’t be ashamed to ask for professional help. 
  • Give it time: Like any breach of trust, it requires time to rebuild. So be consistent, communicate often and be patient with your partner and yourself.
  • Discuss your financial situation regularly: Ensure your spouse is involved in financial matters and decisions. Your ability to consistently follow through with what you say you are going to do when it comes to money can make all the difference in your partner’s willingness to trust you again.
  • Work on a plan to resolve the problem together: If there is a lot of debt, for example, create a budget and financial plan together and ensure your partner is fully informed, involved and supported. 

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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League last-16, second leg:

Real Madrid 1 (Asensio 70'), Ajax 4 (Ziyech 7', Neres 18', Tadic 62', Schone 72')

Ajax win 5-3 on aggregate

Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?

Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.

They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.

“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.

He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.

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What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Updated: June 23, 2024, 12:02 PM`