Etihad Arena will host the semi-finals of 'Road to UFC' following UFC 280. The National
Etihad Arena will host the semi-finals of 'Road to UFC' following UFC 280. The National
Etihad Arena will host the semi-finals of 'Road to UFC' following UFC 280. The National
Etihad Arena will host the semi-finals of 'Road to UFC' following UFC 280. The National

Abu Dhabi confirmed to host 'Road to UFC' semi-finals next month on back of UFC 280


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Abu Dhabi will next month host the second leg of the “Road to UFC”, a tournament where athletes vie for a contract with the world’s lead mixed martial arts promotion.

The win-and-advance competition, launched in Singapore in June, will stage its semi-finals in the capital on October 23 – the day following UFC 280 at Etihad Arena. The UFC confirmed the next phase on Tuesday.

The Road to UFC, designed to showcase the best young Asian talent, comprises four men’s divisions - flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight and lightweight - with eight participants in each bracket. At its conclusion, a fighter from each division will be offered a UFC contract.

Beginning with 32 competitors, the field was whittled down to 16 following the two-day event in Singapore on the back of UFC 275. The opening round consisted of four episodes.

The semi-finals are divided into two episodes, each of which includes four tournament bouts and one additional non-tournament bout.

The eight winners in Abu Dhabi will then go on to contest the finals later this year. The finals are scheduled to take place on the preliminary card of a UFC Fight Night.

The Road to UFC features fighters from Japan, South Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, India and the UFC Academy in China.

The UFC returns to Abu Dhabi on October 22 with UFC 280, headlined by two world title fights, including the much-hyped lightweight bout between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. It forms part of Abu Dhabi Showdown Week.

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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
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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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.

 

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DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister

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Three-and-a-half stars

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Updated: June 08, 2023, 10:30 AM`