Islam Makhachev stretched his winning streak to 15 bouts with an effortless first round submission of Renato Moicano on Saturday night in Inglewood, California, in the main event of UFC 311.
Makhachev, who holds an impressive 27-1 MMA record, was initially scheduled to fight number one lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan, but Tsarukyan suffered "significant back pain" and was forced to withdraw, as UFC boss Dana White had revealed on Friday.
Moicano (20-6-1) was elevated from his scheduled undercard bout with Beneil Dariush for a crack at the lightweight title against the man considered by many to be the pound-for-pound number one in the sport.
Makhachev was gracious in victory, reiterating his desire to fight anyone the UFC decides.
"For me, [it doesn't matter]," Makhachev said in his post-fight interview. "[Whoever] can make 155 pounds, just step in the cage with me."
Moicano was tough on himself and said Makhachev was the better fighter. He admitted, however, that it may have been his one and only shot at championship glory.
"That wasn't a one-day notice," Moicano said after the fight. "That was a life's notice. I'm very sad. I spent my whole life for this moment and tapped in the first round."
The UFC 311 co-main event saw Merab Dvalishvili make the first defence of his bantamweight title against Umar Nurmagomedov in a high-level fight.
Both men traded nearly 20 punches per round in the first three rounds, while Nurmagomedov successfully defended seven of eight takedown attempts.
In the fourth the fight shifted in favour of Dvalishvili, who pushed the action with volume striking and prevented Nurmagomedov from using his wrestling base to control the fight on the mat.
Support in the arena moved toward Dvalishvili entering the final session and he entertained the crowd with some showmanship and acknowledged their backing. A visibly exhausted Nurmagomedov – the cousin of former lightweight champion and hall of famer Khabib – was unable to find a late flourish and the fight slipped away from him.
Dvalishvili earned a unanimous decision win (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) to hand Nurmagomedov (18-1) his first professional loss. Dvalishvili (19-4) has won 12 in a row.
"Umar is a tough fighter and he's good, but he called me old," said Dvalishvili, who at 34 is five years older than Nurmagomedov. "Yes, I'm old but I'm working every day. I'm a harder worker."
He added: "I'm so proud of myself. I can retire today, and I can die happy."
Nurmagomedov said: "I think first round, I won. Others was close. And after first round, I can't punch because I think I broke my [left] hand, and game go other way, you know?"
Former light heavyweight champions Jiri Prochazka and Jamahal Hill stood and traded blows for nearly 15 minutes in an earlier main card bout.
Despite suffering an eye-poke midway through the second, Prochazka (31-5-1) delivered a left hook, followed by a right hand in the third, en route to a comeback win after losing to current champion Alex Pereira last June in the main event of UFC 303. Meanwhile, Hill (12-3) is still searching for his first win in two years.
Jailton Almeida used his ground-and-pound to finish Serghei Spivac in a heavyweight bout by TKO at 4:53 in Round 1. Almeida (22-3) has won nine of his last 10, while Spivac (17-5) has lost two of his previous three.
Middleweight Reinier de Ridder had opened the main card in style, submitting Kevin Holland with a first round rear-naked-choke. It was De Ridder's 13th submission win. De Ridder (19-2) handed Holland (26-12) his fourth loss in his last five fights, while De Ridder improved to 2-0 under the UFC banner.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
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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 four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
The five pillars of Islam
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20myZoi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Syed%20Ali%2C%20Christian%20Buchholz%2C%20Shanawaz%20Rouf%2C%20Arsalan%20Siddiqui%2C%20Nabid%20Hassan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2037%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Initial%20undisclosed%20funding%20from%20SC%20Ventures%3B%20second%20round%20of%20funding%20totalling%20%2414%20million%20from%20a%20consortium%20of%20SBI%2C%20a%20Japanese%20VC%20firm%2C%20and%20SC%20Venture%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6
Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 9.4L / 100kms
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Essentials
The flights
Whether you trek after mountain gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda or the Congo, the most convenient international airport is in Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. There are direct flights from Dubai a couple of days a week with RwandAir. Otherwise, an indirect route is available via Nairobi with Kenya Airways. Flydubai flies to Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, via Entebbe in Uganda. Expect to pay from US$350 (Dh1,286) return, including taxes.
The tours
Superb ape-watching tours that take in all three gorilla countries mentioned above are run by Natural World Safaris. In September, the company will be operating a unique Ugandan ape safari guided by well-known primatologist Ben Garrod.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, local operator Kivu Travel can organise pretty much any kind of safari throughout the Virunga National Park and elsewhere in eastern Congo.
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Director: Jafar Panahi
Stars: Vahid Mobasseri, Mariam Afshari, Ebrahim Azizi, Hadis Pakbaten, Majid Panahi, Mohamad Ali Elyasmehr
Rating: 4/5
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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
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Full name: Aisha Abdulqader Saeed
Age: 34
Emirate: Dubai
Favourite quote: "No one has ever become poor by giving"
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
The years Ramadan fell in May
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
The five pillars of Islam
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The biog
Family: He is the youngest of five brothers, of whom two are dentists.
Celebrities he worked on: Fabio Canavaro, Lojain Omran, RedOne, Saber Al Rabai.
Where he works: Liberty Dental Clinic
The five pillars of Islam
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
