Dana White has confirmed Gilbert Burns will take on UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman next, despite Jorge Masvidal calling for a rematch.
Masvidal stepped in for Burns on six days’ notice for the headline bout at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, the opening event in the four-show Fight Island. Burns, the No 1-ranked challenger, tested positive for Covid-19 before leaving Las Vegas for the Emirates, with Masvidal agreeing two days later to take his place.
Usman triumphed by unanimous decision to take his UFC record to 12-0 in a largely one-sided affair at Flash Forum. Yet Masvidal, who was contesting his first title match despite having 18 previous appearances in the promotion, has since said he is determined to land another clash with Usman - preferably before the end of the year.
However, speaking on Friday at the weigh-in to Sunday's UFC Fight Night 2 on Fight Island, White reiterated: “Gilbert’s next.”
The UFC president was full of praise for Mounir Lazzez, the Dubai resident who secured a win on his UFC debut at Fight Night 1 on Thursday. The Tunisian defeated Abdul Razak Alhassan by unanimous decision, with the bout earning a Fight of the Night bonus.
“When you have some local talent that does well, and not just does well." White said. "That kid was a [heavy] underdog and he went in there against a [expletive] beast and has a fight like the fight that they fought that night, it’s very good for the region.
“From what I’m told, that kid is very popular here, he’s got a lot of support in the region. The people who live here love that.”
Asked what he said to Lazzez outside the octagon immediately after the fight, White said: “I just went over and said congratulations. The story is just mind-boggling. I’m sure you heard the story, that I’m at my son’s birthday party and took a bunch of his friends to dinner. This kid is sitting next to me - Adam - is just terrorising me about this guy, because him and his family live out here.
“And he’s like ‘I’m telling you this guy is awesome, you need him, they love him in the area. And so I told him I’m going to do it. So I literally called [UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby and told him to make the fight.
"We tell the story about a 17-year-old kid made this fight and then the first two seconds we’re like ‘Oh, [expletive]'. But it worked out.
“I might take another recommendation off him. That kid’s a rock star right now; he’s loving it. You go on his Instagram and it’s all about the fight and him making the fight. It was a cool story and the fight was unbelievable."
On whether the UFC could shift their August schedule from Las Vegas to Abu Dhabi if the pandemic prompts Nevada to stop sport taking place there, White said: “I have some back-up plans. It’s not ideal; it’s not what I want to do. I want to stay in Vegas.
“Not only in Vegas, but in other parts of the world, other parts of the country, we can pull this off safely and not hurt anybody. And hopefully we have that opportunity to do that in our hometown, where it would be a lot safer for all of us. I hope that’s the case. We’ll see.
White added: “We’re going to do a lot of fights over here. If you look at how many international fights we do a year, we do those here in Abu Dhabi. But we have to so some of these fights in the States.
"Listen, we’re definitely coming back to Abu Dhabi, that’s guaranteed. When I came here everybody had this idea that this Fight Island thing was three or four fights and that was a wrap. That’s not true. We’re here to stay.
"As far as trying to find another venue outside the United States, it ain’t happening. Why would I go anywhere other than Abu Dhabi? Abu Dhabi might end up becoming the fight capital of the world - seriously. It’s definitely not Las Vegas right now.”
ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE
First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune
Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC
ZAYED SUSTAINABILITY PRIZE
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
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
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
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
GOODBYE%20JULIA
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Leaderboard
64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)
65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)
66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)
67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The biog
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite Movie: Resident Evil
Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices
Favourite food: Pizza
Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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