The UFC middleweight title bout between Israel Adesanya and Paulo Costa has been set for September 26, with Abu Dhabi believed to be front-runner to host.
The world’s lead mixed martial arts promotion announced the UFC 253 headliner during Sunday morning’s UFC 252, where Stipe Miocic retained his heavyweight belt to close out his trilogy with Daniel Cormier.
Although the location for Adesanya-Costa has yet to be confirmed, it seems likely to kick-start another Fight Island run for the UFC in the UAE capital following last month’s inaugural series.
Hugely successful, the initial Fight Island featured four events at Flash Forum across a 15-day period, beginning with UFC 251 on July 12.
Asked directly following UFC 252 whether he could confirm where Adesanya-Costa would take place, UFC president Dana White replied: “Not yet.”
However, Abu Dhabi appears most obvious. White told The National last month that the capital would host all of the sport's major title bouts featuring international fighters as the UFC continues to stage high-profile events during the coronavirus pandemic.
In the same interview, White said the next Fight Island would provide the setting for the upcoming unification bout between lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and interim title-holder Justin Gaethje. That encounter has since been confirmed for October 24 (October 25 in the UAE), although once more the location has not been made public.
When asked by The National on Sunday about Adesanya-Costa opening the second Fight Island series in Abu Dhabi – the event would fall on September 27 in the UAE – local organisers said nothing had been confirmed on their side.
Irrespective of where UFC 253 plays out, White expects the headline encounter to live up to its blockbuster billing. Both champion Adesanya and No 2-ranked contender Costa are unbeaten, with the Nigerian-born New Zealander boasting a 19-0 professional record. His Brazilian opponent, meanwhile, sits at 13-0.
The pair, slated to meet earlier this year only for Costa to withdraw through injury, have been embroiled in a heated public rivalry outside the octagon.
“I don’t know what you guys think, but that’s fight of the year,” White said at Sunday's post-fight conference. “I’m very excited with what’s coming up in the fall. We have a ton of fun fights, and like I said, Adesanya versus Costa right now is the fight of the year. I predict that’s going to be an incredibly badass fight.
“Stylistically, it’s the perfect fight. If you look at the way Costa fights, he puts pressure on you, stays in your face the whole time. Adesanya likes to stay on the outside and pick you apart.
“It matches up really, really well. Both guys are animals. Both guys want this fight really bad. That fight’s going to be an absolute war.”
White said last week that he envisages the next Fight Island to take place across "five or six weeks". Designed primarily to allow the UFC's international athletes to compete during the pandemic, Fight Island is considered an “extension” of the five-year deal signed last year between the promotion and Abu Dhabi.
Specs
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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
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Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
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MO
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
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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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
TEAMS
US Team
Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth
Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger
Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler
Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed
Matt Kuchar, Kevin Chappell
Charley Hoffman*, Phil Mickelson*
International Team
Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day
Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen
Marc Leishman, Charl Schwartzel
Branden Grace, Si Woo Kim
Jhonattan Vegas, Adam Hadwin
Emiliano Grillo*, Anirban Lahiri*
* denotes captain's picks
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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.
11 cabbie-recommended restaurants and dishes to try in Abu Dhabi
Iqbal Restaurant behind Wendy’s on Hamdan Street for the chicken karahi (Dh14)
Pathemari in Navy Gate for prawn biryani (from Dh12 to Dh35)
Abu Al Nasar near Abu Dhabi Mall, for biryani (from Dh12 to Dh20)
Bonna Annee at Navy Gate for Ethiopian food (the Bonna Annee special costs Dh42 and comes with a mix of six house stews – key wet, minchet abesh, kekel, meser be sega, tibs fir fir and shiro).
Al Habasha in Tanker Mai for Ethiopian food (tibs, a hearty stew with meat, is a popular dish; here it costs Dh36.75 for lamb and beef versions)
Himalayan Restaurant in Mussaffa for Nepalese (the momos and chowmein noodles are best-selling items, and go for between Dh14 and Dh20)
Makalu in Mussaffa for Nepalese (get the chicken curry or chicken fry for Dh11)
Al Shaheen Cafeteria near Guardian Towers for a quick morning bite, especially the egg sandwich in paratha (Dh3.50)
Pinky Food Restaurant in Tanker Mai for tilapia
Tasty Zone for Nepalese-style noodles (Dh15)
Ibrahimi for Pakistani food (a quarter chicken tikka with roti costs Dh16)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Canada
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl, 48V hybrid
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 325bhp
Torque: 450Nm
Price: Dh289,000
Saturday's results
West Ham 2-3 Tottenham
Arsenal 2-2 Southampton
Bournemouth 1-2 Wolves
Brighton 0-2 Leicester City
Crystal Palace 1-2 Liverpool
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Watford 0-3 Burnley
Manchester City v Chelsea, 9.30pm
