ABU DHABI // Organisers of UFC 112: Invincible, the country's first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event, have scheduled a series of sideline activities, including free-to-the-public pre-fight weigh-ins on the Corniche, to ensure the world's premier mixed martial arts franchise causes a stir on its Middle East debut.
With the majority of the event's fighters committed to three-week training camps in the Emirates before the April 10 fight night, John Lickrish, the managing director of Flash Entertainment - which acquired a 10 per cent stake in the UFC's parent company Zuffa LLC in January - said that providing opportunities for the public to mix and mingle with the UFC fighters had been prioritised.
"We're going to hold the weigh-ins on the beach and along the Corniche, so everyone can come down and see the fighters, meet them and see how big they are," said Lickrish. "People talk about what the fighters are like in the ring, but when you meet them face-to-face they are very polite, friendly, demure and humble. It will be good for fans, who will have only seen these guys on TV, to get close and see the human component. They may be fighters but they are also very polite and personable; it is such a juxtaposition of person and athlete."
With an 11,800-strong outdoor arena under construction at Ferrari World on Yas Island, Lickrish said the facility had been designed as a "box" format, with four grandstands. A significant floor-level area will house the most expensive octagon-side seats.
"All the seats and all the blocks are close to the cage, but no one is familiar with the set-up so we're having to inform people on where they'll be sat," said Lickrish.
"I'd like to have sold out in the first hour [as Sydney's recent UFC110 event did], but that's not a reality in the UAE - it never happens. Sales are right on target: we sold strongly at the beginning, we're chugging along and I know we'll be at capacity before the event."
The demand for expensive cage-side seats, he added, had forced a re-think of the original floor-plan.
"Everyone wants to be on the ground, right next to the fight. That's where you get the most adrenaline and where you can really feel it," said Lickrish. "Those original tickets went really quickly, so we've expanded that section. We knew we'd get requests we couldn't refuse and so we left buffers aside in anticipation. We're running out of tickets in the best areas and will be sold out shortly."
With end-of-winter rainfall a possibility, Lickrish said plans have been devised to safeguard the event should there be further showers next month.
"The show will go on, we'll protect and cover the Octagon, but like any outdoor show the fans will be open to the elements," he said.
Having lost one of its main event fighters - Vitor Belfort's shoulder injury has forced him out of a showdown with middleweight champion Anderson Silva, who will now fight fellow Brazilian Demian Maia - Lickrish maintained that the bill, which features nine bouts in total, remains one of the UFC's strongest ever. "When you do live events you expect nothing to go to plan, with the amount of physical punishment these fighters go through, things happen," he added.
"But I'm not disappointed. Maia is a grappler - the complete opposite to Silva - and he'll pose a new, different challenge. The bill is fantastic."
emegson@thenational.ae
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Fixtures
Sunday, December 8, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v USA
Monday, December 9, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – USA v Scotland
Wednesday, December 11, Sharjah Cricket Stadium – UAE v Scotland
Thursday, December 12, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v USA
Saturday, December 14, ICC Academy, Dubai – USA v Scotland
Sunday, December 15, ICC Academy, Dubai – UAE v Scotland
Note: All matches start at 10am, admission is free
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
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Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
The specs
Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed
Power: 271 and 409 horsepower
Torque: 385 and 650Nm
Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
