Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Renzo Gracie believes amateur MMA has the potential to join the Olympics roster.
He also praised the UAE's leadership for its role in helping to develop the sport on a day when Emirati Zamzam Al Hammadi defended her gold medal in Abu Dhabi.
Gracie was present on the final day of the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s World Youth Championship at the Mubadala Arena on Saturday.
“The sport definitely does have the potential to be in the Olympics from what I saw in Serbia [at the IMMAF European Championship] and now having been here today with over 800 competitors from across 47 countries,” Gracie told The National.
“It’s showing the interest and the potential that these kids are bringing. I was very surprised with the technique and the level of knowledge that these kids have.
“We are looking at the future generations of the MMA sport in the world. For sure, from here, we're going to have a lot of world champions coming out.”
The five-day championships for boys and girls aged 12 to 17 was being held in Abu Dhabi for the third successive year while the combat sport continues to spread its wings at the professional level around the globe.
“I really believe the IMMAF platform will help the sport grow. Right now, it's just in a few countries but soon every nation will embrace it. I'm right now working to help them to move to the US and start having a platform there to expand,” Gracie added.
“We must go to countries that will support this sport financially and countries with a lot of density of people. So, I believe India, China, Brazil and the US, they will be a very important part of that growth. I see this sport taking off and I know before I die I will watch this in the Olympics.”
Zamzam Al Hammadi, the first Emirati female to win the IMMAF World Youth title last year, retained the gold medal on Saturday night. She holds both the IMMAF and the International Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s World Youth titles.
“This is the beauty of this country. They did what Brazil should have done 40 years ago, which was to embrace jiu-jitsu and make it grow,” Gracie said of Abu Dhabi’s pioneering effort to promote the martial art sport globally.
“The first time I was here was almost 30 years ago and the Abu Dhabi ruling family loved jiu-jitsu in such a level that they decided there was a very important tool to forge their future generation.
“They added jiu-jitsu in the school curriculum, introduced it in the police and the military. They made a point that promotions in the police and military came with a jiu-jitsu belt. By doing so, they did an amazing job to spread the sport in the country.
“Today you come here, in the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship, they have 13,000 competitors. This is unheard of. They have 14 per cent of the whole population practising jiu-jitsu.
“I believe the other countries should have copied that and should have done the same, you know, because this is one of the greatest sports, one of the greatest tools to forge kids that will become amazing human beings in the future.”
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation has an international calendar staging Grand Slam events in Europe, America and Asia throughout the year with the highlight being the annual Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship.
The martial art also made its debut at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and was included at the Hangzhou Games, with the UAE topping the medals table on both occasions. Its inclusion in the Olympics is their next goal.
Meanwhile, the spotlight on the final night of the IMMAF Youth Worlds was on Al Hammadi’s stunning performance. The Abu Dhabi schoolgirl retained her title after a unanimous decision over American Xerena Sikes in the 52.2-kilogram final.
“I’m very glad that I was able to win the gold for the second successive year. It was hard work throughout the championship and I’m proud for my country, the fans and my family having achieved this result,” Al Hammadi told The National.
After becoming the first Emirati female to win an MMA world title last year, Al Hammadi was back in the gym and training two days later for her title defence, which she achieved with a run of four wins at the championships.
“I knew how hard it’s going to be to replicate the gold medal for the second year and also how tough it is to win a fight at this level,” she added.
“Last year, I was back in the gym two days after I won the gold and I’m going to follow the same schedule in preparing for 2025. This year, I improved my striking and upped my grappling skills, and now I'm looking forward to further improving my overall skills in both MMA and jiu-jitsu.”
Al Hammadi overcame Taghrid Akkawi of Palestine with a vicious armbar submission in one minute and 32 seconds into her opening fight. She followed up that win with a unanimous decision over Italian Elena Indelicato in the next.
In the semi-finals, Al Hammadi overcame Poland’s Sara Dembinska, also by unanimous decision to set the stage for a grand finale against Sikes.
Taking home a second gold earlier in the week was her sister Ghala Al Hammadi in a repeat of their success 12 months ago.
Thani Al Mehairi (Youth A/65.8 kg) and Saeed Al Nuaimi (Men/Youth A / 56.7 kg) won bronze medals on the final night, taking the UAE’s overall tally to 12, including four golds, one silver and seven bronze.
Ukraine topped the medals table for the fourth consecutive year followed by Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in second and third places, respectively.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Our House, Louise Candlish,
Simon & Schuster
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
Norwich City 1 (Cantwell 75') Manchester United 2 (Aghalo 51' 118') After extra time.
Man of the match Harry Maguire (Manchester United)
Scoreline
Real Madrid 1
Ronaldo (53')
Atletico Madrid 1
Griezmann (57')
MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Second leg:
Monday, Azizi Stadium, Tehran. Kick off 7pm
The five pillars of Islam
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ramez%20Galal%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMBC%20Shahid%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
