UFC returns this weekend (early Sunday, May 10) with a UFC 249 that looks markedly different to its original show scheduled for last month. Here we look at some of the highlight bouts taking place at the closed-doors event at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
Tony Ferguson v Justin Gaethje
OK, so Ferguson's not taking on undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, as had been originally slated. But a match-up with Gaethje is undoubtedly the next best thing.
The pair will contest the interim lightweight title, which seems sure only to be a thriller. Ferguson, the division’s No 1-ranked challenger, is unorthodox and unrelenting, and rides a 12-fight win streak dating back eight years. Five of his past six bouts have sealed fight-of-the night bonuses.
Gaethje, meanwhile, is typically a contender for fight-of-the-year accolades. Unbeaten in his past three bouts, the American will either knock out or be knocked out. Add into the mix that Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor potentially await the winner and loser, respectively, and fireworks should ensue.
Henry Cejudo v Dominick Cruz
Dubbed the co-main event, and while Ferguson-Gaethje is rightfully viewed the headline bout, this should not disappoint either. Cejudo is one of only four athletes in UFC history to hold two championships at the same time, and puts his bantamweight title on the line in a clash that could decide the division’s all-time greatest.
That Cruz is fighting for the first time since December 2016 only adds to the intrigue. For the former belt-holder, there are understandable doubts that he can recapture the form of old.
Should he register a victory against the Olympic wrestling gold medalist, though, Cruz could claim to have completed the most notable comeback in UFC history. Saying that, a five-rounder, championship match after more than three years away? Cruz is most certainly jumping in at the deep end.
Francis Ngannou v Jairzinho Rozenstruik
Two of the sport’s hardest hitters take to the octagon in one of three full heavyweight bouts on what is a stacked card. This one, though, has every right to be billed a title-eliminator match.
In fairness, Ngannou should have already had his shot at the belt. Packing serious power, the No 2-ranked challenger has won his past three fights all via knockout. They lasted less than three minutes – combined.
In direct combat, Rozenstruik burst onto the scene last year with four knockout victories, the most gruesome arriving in December against Alistair Overeem. Almost no one expects this fight to go anywhere near the distance with Ngannou the favourite to underline his credentials for a bout against current champion Stipe Miocic, preferably not too far down the line.
Jeremy Stephens v Calvin Kattar
So a match-up between the No 7- and No 9-ranked featherweights wouldn't typically jump off the card, but Stephens and Kattar set up brilliantly against one another.
Even despite his place in the standings, Kattar is tipped by many to take on, and upset, the more prominent names in the division. He is coming off a loss in November, when he fronted up to fast-rising Russian star Zabit Magomedsharipov in Moscow.
In Stephens, Kattar will find a hugely experienced opponent no doubt incentivised by the opportunity to prove he’s still a threat. It’s hard to believe, but at 33, Stephens is only a year older than Kattar. Stylistically at least, on paper this is a potential fight of the night.
Donald Cerrone v Anthony Pettis
Just how will Cerrone bounce back from last time out, when he suffered a 40-second loss to Conor McGregor only four months ago. In the biggest fight of his life, "Cowboy" froze; he conceded as much last week.
Yet, one of the sport’s most popular fighters, and one of it’s most zealous, Cerrone has plunged straight back in against a familiar foe. He and Pettis met a long time ago, in 2013, when the latter prevailed courtesy of a crunching body kick in the first round.
It was Cerrone’s first knockout loss; Pettis, in contrast, went on to land the lightweight belt in his next bout. He has struggled since, across three weight divisions, and has lost his past two fights. Cerrone may be a veteran of (a remarkable) 51 mixed martial arts fights, but given what happened in January, he will be incredibly motivated to rack up a record-extending 24th UFC win.
UFC 249 is available for fans in the UAE to watch via the UFC Arabia app. The main card kicks off at 6am, Sunday May 10.
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site
The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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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
Army of the Dead
Director: Zack Snyder
Stars: Dave Bautista, Ella Purnell, Omari Hardwick, Ana de la Reguera
Three stars
MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Section 375
Cast: Akshaye Khanna, Richa Chadha, Meera Chopra & Rahul Bhat
Director: Ajay Bahl
Producers: Kumar Mangat Pathak, Abhishek Pathak & SCIPL
Rating: 3.5/5
The Travel Diaries of Albert Einstein The Far East, Palestine, and Spain, 1922 – 1923
Editor Ze’ev Rosenkranz
Princeton
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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GCC-UK%20Growth
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Five personal finance podcasts from The National
To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes
·
Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth
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What is a portfolio stress test?
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What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested?
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How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies
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Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?
The five pillars of Islam
Ad Astra
Director: James Gray
Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones
Five out of five stars
More coverage from the Future Forum
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. More from Neighbourhood Watch:
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Look%20Both%20Ways
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Race card
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 Group 1 (PA) US$100,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
7.05pm: Meydan Classic Listed (TB) $175,000 (Turf) 1,600m
7.40pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (D) 1,600m
8.50pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy Group 2 (TB) $300,000 (T) 2,810m
9.25pm: Curlin Stakes Listed (TB) $175,000 (D) 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) $135,000 (T) 2,000m
10.35pm: Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm: Shahm, 7.05pm: Well Of Wisdom, 7.40pm: Lucius Tiberius, 8.15pm: Captain Von Trapp, 8.50pm: Secret Advisor, 9.25pm: George Villiers, 10pm: American Graffiti, 10.35pm: On The Warpath
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More on animal trafficking
MATCH INFO
Champions League last 16, first leg
Tottenham v RB Leipzig, Wednesday, midnight (UAE)
more from Janine di Giovanni
Fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit
As he spoke, Mr Aboul Gheit repeatedly referred to the need to tackle issues affecting the welfare of people across the region both in terms of preventing conflict and in pushing development.
Lebanon is scheduled to host the fourth Arab Economic and Social Development Summit in January that will see regional leaders gather to tackle the challenges facing the Middle East. The last such summit was held in 2013. Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told The National that the Beirut Summit “will be an opportunity for Arab leaders to discuss solely economic and social issues, the conference will not focus on political concerns such as Palestine, Syria or Libya". He added that its slogan will be “the individual is at the heart of development”, adding that it will focus on all elements of human capital.
The lowdown
Badla
Rating: 2.5/5
Produced by: Red Chillies, Azure Entertainment
Director: Sujoy Ghosh
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
The specs: 2018 Kia Picanto
Price: From Dh39,500
Engine: 1.2L inline four-cylinder
Transmission: Four-speed auto
Power: 86hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 122Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
