As the spotlight shines brightly on the heavyweight contest between Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira in the ‘Battle of the Giants’ on October 19, up-and-coming Saudi Arabian fighter Mostafa Nada is happy just to be a part of the Professional Fighters' League (PFL) show in Riyadh.
A professional mixed martial artist of 11 years, October 19 will offer Nada the biggest stage of his career, one featuring a blockbuster clash between Ngannou and Ferreira and also includes the women’s featherweight title fight between Cris Cyborg and Larissa Pacheco.
“To appear in an event like Ngannou-Ferreira is really a big occasion for me. I have been in the spotlight in a few fights but this is massive with the MMA fans not only in the kingdom, but from around the world watching,” Nada told The National.
“I have had two successful appearances in the PFL, which were big events, and some fights in other big promotions. They certainly are the highlights of my professional career but the Ngannou-Ferreira card is the biggest yet.
“As a fighter from the kingdom, I’m really honoured and excited for the opportunity to fight in the Ngannou-Ferreira card. I want to put up a good show in front of my home fans, friends, and family.”
Nada described the Battle of the Giants as a game changer for Saudi Arabia as a destination for major MMA events.
“It’s going to be phenomenal and a sell-out night in Saudi Arabia, for sure,” he said of the build-up to the contest.
“Saudi Arabia is not only getting famous for combat sports but also for Formula One, golf, horse racing and so much more. It can only get better in the years to come.
“The Ngannou-Ferreira fight will have MMA fans from every corner of the Earth watching."
Nada, with a career record of 9-3 (win/loss), meets Egyptian Ahmed Sami (11-4) in the middleweight contest.
The Saudi Arabian fighter enters the contest on the back of two wins in as many appearances in the PFL, most recently in the PFL Mena 2 in July when he knocked out Abdel Rahmane Driai in the first round.
Sami, meanwhile, suffered a unanimous points defeat to Tunisian Yousri Belgaroui in the Levels Fight League-11 in February.
“I train throughout the year and am always ready to face anyone that the promotion names,” Nada said. “I have studied Ahmed. He’s a good wrestler. He not only depends on his fighting strengths but possesses a good fighting brain, and [is a] very experienced fighter. He’s also good in kickboxing, but I’m ready to take him on. I can’t reveal my plans I but have a plan to surprise him.”
Nada is undefeated in all his three appearances in the kingdom but said fighting on home turf brings extra pressure.
“I feel more comfortable competing outside the kingdom because as a Saudi champion I feel some pressure when fighting in front of my home fans, friends and family,” he said.
“This can be because of the emotions. However, I have managed to overcome it and done quite well so far to keep my perfect record at home. I feel I can take that momentum forward and put up another good show for all of them.”
It is not all about fighting and training for Nada, who is also an entrepreneur. He owns several gyms and is also a coach who conducts combat sports camps for young Saudis. Nada believes PFL’s vision has made them a leading platform to take MMA to the next level in Saudi Arabia and the region.
“The levels of these fighters from the region is on the rise after the introduction of the Mena championship,” he said.
“It has made Saudi Arabia a hotspot for top class MMA events and it encourages more fighters from the kingdom and the region and gives them a chance to shine.
“The Mena championship is in its first year and we already see the success it has created. The competitions are getting more, the level is becoming higher and there are a lot of champions and fighters looking forward to being part of it.”
The PFL Mena is a four-fight league where the winner of each of the four weight divisions will receive $100,000.
The winners of the Mena weight divisions will then stand a chance to be promoted to the PFL Global League in which the winner of each weight division pockets $1 million.
SANCTIONED
- Kirill Shamalov, Russia's youngest billionaire and previously married to Putin's daughter Katarina
- Petr Fradkov, head of recently sanctioned Promsvyazbank and son of former head of Russian Foreign Intelligence, the FSB.
- Denis Bortnikov, Deputy President of Russia's largest bank VTB. He is the son of Alexander Bortnikov, head of the FSB which was responsible for the poisoning of political activist Alexey Navalny in August 2020 with banned chemical agent novichok.
- Yury Slyusar, director of United Aircraft Corporation, a major aircraft manufacturer for the Russian military.
- Elena Aleksandrovna Georgieva, chair of the board of Novikombank, a state-owned defence conglomerate.
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
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
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company%20profile
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Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Teenage%20Mutant%20Ninja%20Turtles%3A%20Shredder's%20Revenge
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MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
HWJN
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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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 Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
More on animal trafficking
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
