Belal Muhammad made history as he became the first Arab to win a UFC title when he snatched the welterweight crown from English champion Leon Edwards on Saturday night.
The Chicago-born fighter, the son of Palestinian immigrants, took a five-round decision over Edwards at UFC 304 at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester.
Muhammad (23-3-0) and Edwards (22-4-0) first clashed on March 13, 2021, but the fight ended in a no contest after Edwards accidentally poked the American in the eye.
But on Saturday, the two went the distance, with Muhammad taking the decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 to lift the welterweight belt.
Afterwards, Muhammad, 36, his face bloodied from the battle, dropped to his knees after reeling off his 11th straight win before donning the championship belt. He has not lost since 2019.
“It sounds like all the people booing have a lot of tears in their eyes,” said Muhammad. “We've got a real champion in Chicago now.”
Muhammad, a practising Muslim who has twice fought in Abu Dhabi, has proudly waved the Palestinian flag during his career and said after his victory on Saturday: "I got my family here. This fight is for my family, for my people and Palestine. They're fighting the real fight."
Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman to win the belt in 2022 and had two successful title defences.
Elsewhere on Saturday's card, England's Tom Aspinall retained the UFC interim heavyweight championship after a brutal first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes, setting up a potential clash with division great Jon Jones.
The 31-year-old Aspinall challenged Jones to a unification bout. Jones, widely regarded as one of the best MMA fighters of all time, has been sidelined by a torn pectoral tendon since his last fight in March 2023.
His absence forced the need for an interim champion. There are still hiccups – among them, Jones has at least one more title defence lined up.
“Who wants to see Tom Aspinall versus Jon Jones,” Aspinall told a roaring crowd in Manchester in UFC's first trip to the city since 2016.
Aspinall (15-3-0) then looked straight into a camera and called out Jones.
“I just think I'm better than you,” Aspinall said. “I know I can beat you in a fight.”
The interim title fight was a late addition to the card after Jones tore a pectoral tendon off the bone during training only weeks ahead of his scheduled heavyweight title defence against Stipe Miocic at Madison Square Garden. The fight had to be called off and Jones required elbow surgery after the injury.
Jones and Miocic will fight at a future date – with a potential showdown in November at the Garden in the running – and the winner will then meet Aspinall to crown an undisputed heavyweight champion.
In his first clash with Aspinall, Blaydes had needed only 15 seconds to win when the Englishman suffered a knee injury.
But in their rematch on Saturday, Aspinall rocked Blaydes with a big right hand that sent the challenger to the canvas before he finished him off with a series of rights to the head that ended the fight at just one minute of the first round.
“Now, I’ve got my revenge, thank God,” Aspinall said.
After their first fight, Blaydes went 1-1 over his next two fights. Aspinall had a date with history as he knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in the first round to become the first British heavyweight to win gold at UFC 295 last November at Madison Square Garden.
Saturday's victory over Blaydes was Aspinall's 12th career knockout win – he has made it to the second round just once in his nine UFC fights.
“I'm the best finisher in the UFC, man,” Aspinall said.
Also on the main card, Liverpool native and fan favourite Paddy Pimblett won his eighth straight fight – six with UFC – when he submitted Bobby Green in the first round.
Pimblett choked out Green at 3:22 of the first round, and put the promotion on notice he was coming for main event fights and let the lightweight division know that he was coming for the championship.
“Statement made,” Pimblett said. “To all you haters out there that said I’d never get a ranking, what now? Are they going to move the goalposts again?”
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
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.
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
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'Avengers: Infinity War'
Dir: The Russo Brothers
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Robert Downey Junior, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen
Four stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Britain's travel restrictions
- A negative test 2 days before flying
- Complete passenger locator form
- Book a post-arrival PCR test
- Double-vaccinated must self-isolate
- 11 countries on red list quarantine
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%3Cp%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%201.9km%20King%20Salman%20Boulevard%2C%20a%20Parisian%20Champs-Elysees-inspired%20avenue%2C%20is%20scheduled%20for%20completion%20in%202028%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20Royal%20Diriyah%20Opera%20House%20is%20expected%20to%20be%20completed%20in%20four%20years%3Cbr%3E-%20Diriyah%E2%80%99s%20first%20of%2042%20hotels%2C%20the%20Bab%20Samhan%20hotel%2C%20will%20open%20in%20the%20first%20quarter%20of%202024%3Cbr%3E-%20On%20completion%20in%202030%2C%20the%20Diriyah%20project%20is%20forecast%20to%20accommodate%20more%20than%20100%2C000%20people%3Cbr%3E-%20The%20%2463.2%20billion%20Diriyah%20project%20will%20contribute%20%247.2%20billion%20to%20the%20kingdom%E2%80%99s%20GDP%3Cbr%3E-%20It%20will%20create%20more%20than%20178%2C000%20jobs%20and%20aims%20to%20attract%20more%20than%2050%20million%20visits%20a%20year%3Cbr%3E-%20About%202%2C000%20people%20work%20for%20the%20Diriyah%20Company%2C%20with%20more%20than%2086%20per%20cent%20being%20Saudi%20citizens%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sreesanth's India bowling career
Tests 27, Wickets 87, Average 37.59, Best 5-40
ODIs 53, Wickets 75, Average 33.44, Best 6-55
T20Is 10, Wickets 7, Average 41.14, Best 2-12
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Fixtures - Open Men 2pm: India v New Zealand, Malaysia v UAE, Singapore v South Africa, Sri Lanka v England; 8pm: Australia v Singapore, India v Sri Lanka, England v Malaysia, New Zealand v South Africa
Fixtures - Open Women Noon: New Zealand v England, UAE v Australia; 6pm: England v South Africa, New Zealand v Australia
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Other must-tries
Tomato and walnut salad
A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.
Badrijani nigvzit
A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.
Pkhali
This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.
