A trilogy bout between featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway is set for March, with bantamweight belt-holders Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan also poised to meet on the same card.
ESPN reported early on Thursday confirmation from UFC president Dana White that the two championship bouts would take place at UFC 272, although the report added that contracts have yet to be signed. The event, the third pay-per-view card of the year, is likely to be staged at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Volkanovski, 10-0 in the UFC, first won the featherweight crown from Holloway via unanimous decision in December 2019, before the Australian prevailed again by a contentious split decision in the rematch in Abu Dhabi the following July. That bout was part of UFC 251, the first event of the inaugural Fight Island series in the capital.
Volkanovski, 33, has since defended his crown once more, triumphing on points in the Fight of the Year contender against Brian Ortega in September. Holloway, the division’s No 1-ranked contender, has won twice since losing to Volkanovski, dominating Calvin Kattar in Abu Dhabi last January and then defeating Yair Rodriguez on points in Las Vegas in November.
Holloway dominates Kattar in Abu Dhabi
Volkanovski has won his past 20 professional mixed martial arts bouts and boasts a 23-1 record, while Holloway’s pro career stands at 23-6.
Meanwhile, Sterling and Yan will finally face off after their October rematch in Abu Dhabi was postponed because the former had not fully recovered from a neck injury. The pair first met in March last year, when then-champion Yan was disqualified in the fourth round for an intentional illegal knee.
Yan, who captured the bantamweight title at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi, eventually fought Cory Sandhagen for the interim belt at UFC 267 at Etihad Arena, coming through via unanimous decision. Yan’s pro record reads 16-2 – his loss to Sterling marked his first defeat in 11 bouts – with his American rival's resume at 20-3.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
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The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
HOW TO WATCH
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Teaching in coronavirus times
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