Kamaru Usman will make his middleweight debut at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi after the former welterweight champion stepped in last minute to face unbeaten Khamzat Chimaev, UFC president Dana White announced on Wednesday evening.
Usman (20-3) was one of the most dominant welterweight champions in UFC history, successfully defending the title five times after claiming the belt against Tyron Woodley at UFC 235 in March 2019.
However, the 'Nigerian Nightmare' is coming off successive losses to current champion Leon Edwards, the most recent in March, and will make the step up to the heavier division for the first time.
Usman's opportunity came after Chimaev's original opponent, Paulo Costa, withdrew due to injury. Chimaev, unbeaten after 12 professional fights, is the UFC's No 4-ranked welterweight but has previously fought at middleweight. UFC 294 will mark his return to the octagon since last fighting in September last year.
It is the second time in as many days the UFC have had to draft in new opponents for the fight night in Abu Dhabi. Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira withdrew from his rematch bout with title holder Islam Makhachev on Monday after sustaining an injury in sparring and has been replaced by featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski.
“You know what we’ve been dealing with this week. We just got the big fight done yesterday, the highly anticipated rematch in Abu Dhabi: Makhachev vs Volkanovski,” White said.
“Now you’ve been waiting for the co-main event. Costa’s hurt … we got it done. The No 4 welterweight in the world, Khamzat Chimaev, is moving up to middleweight and he will face the No 1 welterweight in the world: Kamaru Usman.
“No 1 vs No 4 at middleweight, Usman vs Chimaev,” White added. “I will see you in Abu Dhabi!”
Both fighters have experience fighting in Abu Dhabi, Usman making the second defence of his welterweight title with a unanimous points win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 251 in July 2020.
Chimaev, meanwhile, has competed in the capital on three previous occasions with the UFC, his first two appearances setting a new UFC record for the quickest turnaround between fights. After marking his UFC debut with a second-round submission of John Phillips on July 16, 2020, Chimaev returned to the octagon 10 days later to defeat Rhys McKee with a first-round stoppage at welterweight.
The co-main event is part of an exciting card at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena, which will also see history being made as Mohammed Yahya becomes the first Emirati to fight in the UFC when he enters the octagon against American Trevor Peek at lightweight.
Other notable bouts include a clash of middleweight contenders in Nassourdine Imavov and Ikram Aliskerov, while former light-heavyweight title challenger Magomed Ankalaev takes on Johnny Walker, and top prospect Muhammad Mokaev meets Tim Elliott at flyweight.
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Where to donate in the UAE
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
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Starting price: Dh79,000
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- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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How to become a Boglehead
Bogleheads follow simple investing philosophies to build their wealth and live better lives. Just follow these steps.
• Spend less than you earn and save the rest. You can do this by earning more, or being frugal. Better still, do both.
• Invest early, invest often. It takes time to grow your wealth on the stock market. The sooner you begin, the better.
• Choose the right level of risk. Don't gamble by investing in get-rich-quick schemes or high-risk plays. Don't play it too safe, either, by leaving long-term savings in cash.
• Diversify. Do not keep all your eggs in one basket. Spread your money between different companies, sectors, markets and asset classes such as bonds and property.
• Keep charges low. The biggest drag on investment performance is all the charges you pay to advisers and active fund managers.
• Keep it simple. Complexity is your enemy. You can build a balanced, diversified portfolio with just a handful of ETFs.
• Forget timing the market. Nobody knows where share prices will go next, so don't try to second-guess them.
• Stick with it. Do not sell up in a market crash. Use the opportunity to invest more at the lower price.
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