Even now, long after the fight was set and deep into training camp, Bruno Machado still cannot quite believe it.
Given the opposition, the headline act, and the location, that’s perfectly understandable.
“Ah, man,” Machado says, followed by a lengthy pause. “It’s a dream … a dream. I have not enough words to say what I’m thinking, because it’s a lot of big things together at the same time. You understand?
“I never expected from where I came that one day this would happen to my life. There’s no way for me to expect that. Like, ‘Hey man, in the future I’m going to fight Anderson Silva, in the Burj Al Arab, on the helipad, with Floyd Mayweather heading the fight card’. Man, it’s unbelievable.”
Machado, the current UAE Warriors lightweight champion, finishes with a laugh, and that rather encapsulates the very thought of what is apparently to come next month.
That, on May 14 and, supposedly yes, on the Burj Al Arab helipad, the Brazilian will face compatriot and UFC great Anderson Silva in an exhibition boxing match as part of Global Titans Fight Series, a new combat-sports production with plans to stage events at “iconic locations across four continents”.
Other sites targeted, organisers say, include the Pyramids in Egypt, Niagara Falls and Table Mountain.
For the UAE launch, entitled “The Showcase in the Skies of Dubai”, Machado and Silva serve as the prelude to unbeaten former five-weight world champion Mayweather’s clash with fellow American Don Moore.
Naturally, as he speaks to The National following another intense session at Cobra Fitness Abu Dhabi gym in Al Bandar, Machado is relishing the chance that came almost out of nowhere.
“To tell you the truth, I really don’t know [how it happened],” he says. “But in my opinion, it’s maybe because I’m the UAE Warriors lightweight champion and I live in Abu Dhabi, so maybe they saw a good opportunity to put me against him. But I really don’t know. It’s a gift from God.”
Much like Machado initially, his friends and family back home in Rio de Janeiro could not quite believe it either. Since, though, the long-time Abu Dhabi resident – Machado moved to the UAE in 2013 and teaches jiu-jitsu in the military – has been inundated with messages of support on social media. There has been a steady flow of interview requests from Brazil, too.
The interest has no doubt been piqued by Silva’s involvement. The Brazilian is considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time, a former UFC middleweight champion who holds the record for the longest title reign in the promotion – 2,457 days – despite leaving in 2020.
Silva, 47, has since shifted to boxing; last June he defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, before in September he knocked out former UFC light-heavyweight title-holder Tito Ortiz in only 81 seconds.
“In Brazil when you talk about sports … let’s say we talk about football, we have to remember Pele, Ronaldo,” Machado says. “We talk about F1, we speak about Ayrton Senna.
“So when we talk about MMA we have to speak about Anderson Silva. Because he changed the MMA style in the world. He’s a legend. I remember when he fought in the UFC, on a Saturday night, everybody back home stopped to watch. People made parties to watch him fight.”
Machado would often do the same, but now, thanks to this golden, bolt-from-the-blue opportunity with Global Titans, people will be tuning in to see him also.
“My friends from when we were kids, when they knew about the fight, they start to talk a lot and said, 'Hey, everybody here just talks about the fight. On the day of the fight we’re going to close the city, everybody’s going to watch on the big screen in the middle of the city'. It's crazy.”
It's why Machado says “there was no way for me to say no” when the offer to take part came. He knows Silva well, and not simply from the television set back in his homeland.
“We trained together in Brazil in 2011 until 2013,” Machado says. “We had some good sparring together at that time. He taught me a lot. A lot of things in my knowledge now, I got from him.
“He’s unbelievable, a very humble guy. He’s an amazing human. I was his friend back in 2011; we had good times together.”
Despite their divergent paths, the pair have kept in touch. Predictably, the correspondence has increased in the build-up to Global Titans.
“Last time we talked he said to me, ‘Be careful, man, you’re not to hurt me. I said, ‘No, no, I won’t’. Before, when we knew the fight was confirmed, he messaged me to say, ‘Everything’s fine now, let’s do a very good show for the people. I said, ‘Yeah man, let’s go’.”
To that point, Machado is keen to stress that “exhibition” does not mean he or Silva are taking the bout lightly. In fact, Machado has brought a coach and a sparring partner over from Brazil to help prepare. The stakes, he emphasises, are high.
“I’m expecting something very good from this fight,” says Machado, who defends his UAE Warriors crown in June in Abu Dhabi. “More doors are going to open to me, I hope.
“People are expecting us not to do something good, but believe me, we’re going to do something very good. We’re training very hard. I know him, I know he’ll come ready to fight. It’s an exhibition, but people can expect a very good fight.
“We have to take it very seriously, because we have reputations to protect. He’s a UFC legend; I’m the UAE Warriors world champion here. So if we go there and don’t do something serious it’d won’t be nice for us. At the end of the day, from the heart we are fighters. We are there to fight.
“I’m trying to make it very clear for everybody: I have a good relationship with Anderson, he helped me a lot in the past. But, at the same time, we are professionals.
“From my side especially, I’m very hungry. I really want to fight, I want to put on a show with him there. And I hope we can do something very special for everybody.”
Machado, who rides a six-fight win streak in MMA and says he “owes everything” to the UAE Warriors for the position he finds himself in today, believes the pressure is on Silva, given his resume and reputation.
Even if, he laughs, that might not necessarily impact the fight.
“He doesn’t care about the pressure,” Machado says. “I remember in the past, always when he had fights, he liked to go to the mall. He’s different … very different. His mind is another level.”
Machado’s mind, of course, is firmly in fight mode. Even now, smile wide, as he sits not far from wife Flaviane – also Brazilian, she teaches jiu-jitsu too, at an all-girls school in the capital – and young son Kauan.
“As I said, we are fighters,” Machado says. “For sure, until the warm-up finishes, I will be this Bruno you’re talking to now. But when the guys call us to go inside, I change. It happens all the time. I become another person.
“I really don’t care who’s beside me; I see nothing around me. I just focus inside the ring and the fight. Every day I imagine going to the fight, doing my warm-up, the walk, going to the ring. Every day.
“I’m very excited. I’m going to do something that will be in the history of boxing, for sure. Thanks to God for this opportunity.”
Mobile phone packages comparison
Notable groups (UAE time)
Jordan Spieth, Si Woo Kim, Henrik Stenson (12.47pm)
Justin Thomas, Justin Rose, Louis Oosthuizen (12.58pm)
Hideki Matsuyama, Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood (1.09pm)
Sergio Garcia, Jason Day, Zach Johnson (4.04pm)
Rickie Fowler, Paul Casey, Adam Scott (4.26pm)
Dustin Johnson, Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy (5.48pm)
Basquiat in Abu Dhabi
One of Basquiat’s paintings, the vibrant Cabra (1981–82), now hangs in Louvre Abu Dhabi temporarily, on loan from the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
The latter museum is not open physically, but has assembled a collection and puts together a series of events called Talking Art, such as this discussion, moderated by writer Chaedria LaBouvier.
It's something of a Basquiat season in Abu Dhabi at the moment. Last week, The Radiant Child, a documentary on Basquiat was shown at Manarat Al Saadiyat, and tonight (April 18) the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is throwing the re-creation of a party tonight, of the legendary Canal Zone party thrown in 1979, which epitomised the collaborative scene of the time. It was at Canal Zone that Basquiat met prominent members of the art world and moved from unknown graffiti artist into someone in the spotlight.
“We’ve invited local resident arists, we’ll have spray cans at the ready,” says curator Maisa Al Qassemi of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi's Canal Zone Remix is at Manarat Al Saadiyat, Thursday April 18, from 8pm. Free entry to all. Basquiat's Cabra is on view at Louvre Abu Dhabi until October
UAE v IRELAND
All matches start at 10am, and will be played in Abu Dhabi
1st ODI, Friday, January 8
2nd ODI, Sunday, January 10
3rd ODI, Tuesday, January 12
4th ODI, Thursday, January 14
Mubalada World Tennis Championship 2018 schedule
Thursday December 27
Men's quarter-finals
Kevin Anderson v Hyeon Chung 4pm
Dominic Thiem v Karen Khachanov 6pm
Women's exhibition
Serena Williams v Venus Williams 8pm
Friday December 28
5th place play-off 3pm
Men's semi-finals
Rafael Nadal v Anderson/Chung 5pm
Novak Djokovic v Thiem/Khachanov 7pm
Saturday December 29
3rd place play-off 5pm
Men's final 7pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
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
Western Region Asia Cup T20 Qualifier
Sun Feb 23 – Thu Feb 27, Al Amerat, Oman
The two finalists advance to the Asia qualifier in Malaysia in August
Group A
Bahrain, Maldives, Oman, Qatar
Group B
UAE, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia
UAE group fixtures
Sunday Feb 23, 9.30am, v Iran
Monday Feb 25, 1pm, v Kuwait
Tuesday Feb 26, 9.30am, v Saudi
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza, Rohan Mustafa, Alishan Sharafu, Ansh Tandon, Vriitya Aravind, Junaid Siddique, Waheed Ahmed, Karthik Meiyappan, Basil Hameed, Mohammed Usman, Mohammed Ayaz, Zahoor Khan, Chirag Suri, Sultan Ahmed
CHELSEA SQUAD
Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Bullet%20Train
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20David%20Leitch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Brad%20Pitt%2C%20Aaron%20Taylor-Johnson%2C%20Brian%20Tyree%20Henry%2C%20Sandra%20Bullock%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%206.8%22%20quad-HD%2B%20dynamic%20Amoled%202X%2C%203120%20x%201440%2C%20505ppi%2C%20HDR10%2B%2C%20120Hz%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204nm%20Qualcomm%20Snapdragon%208%20Gen%203%2C%2064-bit%20octa-core%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012GB%20RAM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStorage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20256%2F512GB%20%2F%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Android%2014%2C%20One%20UI%206.1%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMain%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20quad%20200MP%20wide%20f%2F1.7%20%2B%2050MP%20periscope%20telephoto%20f%2F3.4%20with%205x%20optical%2F10x%20optical%20quality%20zoom%20%2B%2010MP%20telephoto%202.4%20with%203x%20optical%20zoom%20%2B%2012MP%20ultra-wide%20f%2F2.2%3B%20100x%20Space%20Zoom%3B%20auto%20HDR%2C%20expert%20RAW%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EVideo%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%208K%4024%2F30fps%2C%204K%4030%2F60%2F120fps%2C%20full-HD%4030%2F60%2F240fps%2C%20full-HD%20super%20slo-mo%40960fps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFront%20camera%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012MP%20f%2F2.2%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205000mAh%2C%20fast%20wireless%20charging%202.0%2C%20Wireless%20PowerShare%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205G%2C%20Wi-Fi%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EI%2FO%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20USB-C%3B%20built-in%20Galaxy%20S%20Pen%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP68%2C%20up%20to%201.5m%20of%20freshwater%20up%20to%2030%20minutes%3B%20dust-resistant%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESIM%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nano%20%2B%20nano%20%2F%20nano%20%2B%20eSIM%20%2F%20dual%20eSIM%20(varies%20in%20different%20markets)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EColours%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Titanium%20black%2C%20titanium%20grey%2C%20titanium%20violet%2C%20titanium%20yellow%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGalaxy%20S24%20Ultra%2C%20USB-C-to-C%20cable%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dh5%2C099%20for%20256GB%2C%20Dh5%2C599%20for%20512GB%2C%20Dh6%2C599%20for%201TB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Occupation: Key marker and auto electrician
Hometown: Ghazala, Syria
Date of arrival in Abu Dhabi: May 15, 1978
Family: 11 siblings, a wife, three sons and one daughter
Favourite place in UAE: Abu Dhabi
Favourite hobby: I like to do a mix of things, like listening to poetry for example.
Favourite Syrian artist: Sabah Fakhri, a tenor from Aleppo
Favourite food: fresh fish
