Ali Al Qaisi on a mission to earn featherweight title shot at UAE Warriors

Mixed Martial Arts fighter Ali Al Qaisi has a couple of memories that are close to his heart.

The first was when he became the first Jordanian to feature in the UFC in 2020. The other is winning the UAE Warriors International and Arabia featherweight titles.

Which is probably why losing the UAE Warriors International crown to Samuel Bark was a huge blow for Al Qaisi, who is more determined than ever to regain the belt.

Al Qaisi, however, must first get past Peruvian Vicente Vargas in UAE Warriors 57 at the Space 42 Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday to earn a title shot against Bark.

The Abu Dhabi promotion’s New Year double-header kicks off with an Arabia versus Africa card on Thursday, followed by UAE Warriors International.

“To fight in the UFC is one of the high points of my career, and also holding two title belts in the UAE Warriors. To regain my belt is my biggest goal going into this fight on Friday,” Al Qaisi told The National on the sidelines of the pre-fight press conference.

“I will bring the belt back home and I can't wait for that moment. He [Vargas] is a good fighter but he doesn't know what I will bring for him on the night.

“I’m well-prepared and coming off a camp in Phuket. This is my 10th fight in the UAE Warriors and I really want to get that rematch against Samuel for the belt.”

The Swede stopped Al Qaisi in the first round to hand the Jordanian his second successive defeat and take home the featherweight belt.

“They were two bad nights for me and those results are behind me,” Al Qaisi added. “This time I’m returning to the cage with a mission and that’s to work my way back to the title contest.

“The UAE Warriors is one of the best in the world. I know that because I travel a lot between camps, between fighting, and I see how much this promotion has grown and is still growing. Glad I'm one of the UAE Warriors family.”

Al Qaisi hopes his journey in the Abu Dhabi promotion, which began in 2021 after he was released by UFC, continues for a long time.

“The UAE Warriors is where I’ll be as long as possible. That’s why the UAE Warriors belt is so dear to me,” he said.

Upon joining, Al Qaisi reeled off four wins to clinch both the UAE Warriors International and Arabia featherweight titles.

He first lost the International title to Canadian Jesse Arnette when the cage-side doctor stopped Al Qaisi from continuing after he suffered a nasty cut above his eye.

Al Qaisi, 34, regained the belt and then successfully defended his crown against Arnette. And in between, he also successfully defended his Arabia belt against Egypt's Ahmed Faress.

Before losing his crown to Bark, Al Qaisi had suffered a shock first-round defeat to Walter Cogliandro, who was beaten by Vargas in July last year.

“Me losing to Walter and Vicente defeating him later is no concern for me. These things keep happening but this time I feel I’m really up there with the belt in mind,” said Al Qaisi, who has a 15-8 record.

Vargas, 38, is also eyeing a title shot against Bark. The Peruvian, who has a 22-6 record, will take confidence from his win over Cogliandro.

“I’m aware Ali is a good and respected fighter, but I have come here with the same goals of winning and earning a title shot,” Vargas said.

“This fight is very important and means a lot for me. I took a 22-hour flight and a six-hour stopover to reach this beautiful city. I fight mostly in Mexico and Brazil. It’s my second time in Abu Dhabi.”

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo

Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic

Power: 242bhp

Torque: 370Nm

Price: Dh136,814

Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

UAE currency

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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

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yallacompare profile

Date of launch: 2014

Founder: Jon Richards, founder and chief executive; Samer Chebab, co-founder and chief operating officer, and Jonathan Rawlings, co-founder and chief financial officer

Based: Media City, Dubai

Sector: Financial services

Size: 120 employees

Investors: 2014: $500,000 in a seed round led by Mulverhill Associates; 2015: $3m in Series A funding led by STC Ventures (managed by Iris Capital), Wamda and Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; 2019: $8m in Series B funding with the same investors as Series A along with Precinct Partners, Saned and Argo Ventures (the VC arm of multinational insurer Argo Group)

Keane on …

Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”

Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”

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Samar Elmnhrawy: How companies in the Middle East can catch up on gender equality

The National Editorial: Is there much to celebrate on International Women's Day 2021?

Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.