Ali Al Qaisi and Jesse Arnett traded verbal blows ahead of their UAE Warriors trilogy fight at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Their first bout in July 2022 ended with Arnett securing the featherweight title by TKO when the cage-side doctor stopped the contest after Al Qaisi suffered a deep cut above his left eye in the second round.
The Jordanian “Royal Fighter” returned to the cage two months later, taking the title back with a third-round submission and is now determined to settle the score once and for all.
“I have beaten him once and I want to beat him more so he never returns for a rematch and never seek a title contest in this promotion again,” Al Qaisi told The National on the sidelines of the pre-fight conference.
“I wasn’t happy when the ringside doctor stopped the fight and awarded the win to my opponent. That’s behind me and I came back and proved that I was the champion. This time there won’t be another rematch. I’m going to finish him once and for all.”
Al Qaisi has won both his fights since losing his title to Arnett, beating the Canadian in the rematch last September before successfully defending his featherweight UAE Warriors Arabia belt against Egyptian Ahmed Faress on March 19.
“I have moved on and my focus is on my next opponent,” he said when asked of his fight against Arnett and beyond.
“We are in 2023 where life moves very fast. I don’t think too far but just focus on what I have to do next. I have worked hard and I come in good shape, and I want to finish this score with Jesse.
“My training and preparation haven’t changed. My preparations are planned according to the opponent I face. I always prepare as if I’m facing the best opponent in the world.
“Once I know whom I fight, then I start preparing for him. We have different camps to face different opponents. We have specific camps and specific training schedules. So, every fight is different for me.”
Arnett has not been in action since his defeat to Al Qaisi but insisted he’s in the best shape of his life to regain the title.
“I have come here to finish this guy off,” he said. “I’m going to knock him out this time. I have been too nice to this guy in the last two times but I’m coming in as the bad big cat against the bad Ali.”
In the co-main event, the vacant UAE Warriors middleweight title will be decided as Brazil’s Juscelino Ferreira takes on Amir Fazli.
The UAE Warriors Arabia 11 kicks off the double-header fight card at the Etihad Arena on Friday.
Lebanon’s Mohammad Osseili meets Egyptian Ahmed Sami while Iraq’s Hussein Salem and Tunisian Mohammed Sadok Trabelsi clash in a co-main event.
Also announced for this card, after a three-fight undefeated run in Bellator, top Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer Ilias Bulaid continues his MMA journey in UAE Warriors as he faces top Egyptian prospect Omar Khaled Fayoumi.
The UAE Warriors Arabia 11 and UAE Warriors 42 can both be watched live through UFC Fight Pass.
if you go
The flights
Emirates offer flights to Buenos Aires from Dubai, via Rio De Janeiro from around Dh6,300. emirates.com
Seeing the games
Tangol sell experiences across South America and generally have good access to tickets for most of the big teams in Buenos Aires: Boca Juniors, River Plate, and Independiente. Prices from Dh550 and include pick up and drop off from your hotel in the city. tangol.com
Staying there
Tangol will pick up tourists from any hotel in Buenos Aires, but after the intensity of the game, the Faena makes for tranquil, upmarket accommodation. Doubles from Dh1,110. faena.com
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
Buy farm-fresh food
The UAE is stepping up its game when it comes to platforms for local farms to show off and sell their produce.
In Dubai, visit Emirati Farmers Souq at The Pointe every Saturday from 8am to 2pm, which has produce from Al Ammar Farm, Omar Al Katri Farm, Hikarivege Vegetables, Rashed Farms and Al Khaleej Honey Trading, among others.
In Sharjah, the Aljada residential community will launch a new outdoor farmers’ market every Friday starting this weekend. Manbat will be held from 3pm to 8pm, and will host 30 farmers, local home-grown entrepreneurs and food stalls from the teams behind Badia Farms; Emirates Hydroponics Farms; Modern Organic Farm; Revolution Real; Astraea Farms; and Al Khaleej Food.
In Abu Dhabi, order farm produce from Food Crowd, an online grocery platform that supplies fresh and organic ingredients directly from farms such as Emirates Bio Farm, TFC, Armela Farms and mother company Al Dahra.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Fly Etihad or Emirates from the UAE to Moscow from 2,763 return per person return including taxes.
Where to stay
Trips on the Golden Eagle Trans-Siberian cost from US$16,995 (Dh62,414) per person, based on two sharing.
The specs: 2018 Mazda CX-5
Price, base / as tested: Dh89,000 / Dh130,000
Engine: 2.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 188hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 251Nm @ 4,000rpm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.1L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face
The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.
The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran.
Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf.
"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said.
Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer.
The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy.
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Avengers: Endgame
Directors: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Josh Brolin
4/5 stars
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
