Mohammad Yahya defends UAE Warriors Arabia title with impressive late stoppage

Emirati lightweight champion submitted El Jaghdal towards end of final round to retain his belt

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  Mohammad warms up backstage before the fight ahead of defending his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title against Mohamed El Jaghdal at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad warms up backstage ahead of his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title defence against Mohamed El Jaghdal at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya begins his walk into the arena for his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title defence against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya backstage ahead of his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title defence against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya makes his way into the arena for his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title defence against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya celebrates his victory against Mohamed El Jaghdal after defending his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya lands a series of punches on Mohamed El Jaghdal on his way to defending his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya in action against Mohamed El Jaghdal during his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title defence. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya defends his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya blocks a punch from Mohamed El Jaghdal during their UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title fight. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya throws punches at Mohamed El Jaghdal during their UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title fight. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya and Mohamed El Jaghdal in action during their UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title fight. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad regains his title. Mohammad Yahya (black shorts) defends his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title against Mohamed El Jaghdal (red shorts) at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya and Mohamed El Jaghdal after their lightweight title fight at UAE Warriors Arabia. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya holds the his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title belt after beating Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya celebrates after defending his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

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  Mohammad Yahya celebrates with his team after defending his UAE Warriors Arabia Lightweight title against Mohamed El Jaghdal. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Mohammad Yahya made a successful first defence of his UAE Warriors Arabia lightweight mixed martial arts title with victory over Moroccan Mohamed El Jaghdal at Etihad Arena on Sunday.

Yahya ended the contest with an arm-triangle choke with just under a minute left in the fifth and final round in the seventh edition of the UAE Warriors Arabia, the concluding event of the Abu Dhabi promotion’s first triple header.

First up was the UAE Warriors Arabia-2 followed by the UAE Warriors-28 (International) before the Arabia edition.

Yahya, the first Emirati to hold an MMA professional title, improved his record to 11 wins and three losses after the result.

“First of all, I would like to thank everyone who stood behind me to get me here, and my family for all their support,” Yahya said. “On the contest, it was five rounds and there wasn’t any hurry for me to finish it off early. I was waiting for those opportunities. I think I had that chance in Round 3 but my opponent got away.

“I was glad to finish him off towards the end of the final round and super happy to at the end result in my first defence of the title. I’ll have to now wait and see what the promotion’s plan for me. I would be glad to get into the cage at the next UAE Warriors fight card.”

In the main supporting contest, Jordan's Ali Al Qaisi clinched the inaugural UAE Warriors Arabia featherweight belt with a unanimous decision victory over Egyptian Ahmed Faress in the 12-fight card.

In the UAE Warriors Africa-2 on the opening night of the triple header, Wisem Hammami won the inaugural welterweight title defeating Moroccan Badreddine Diani in a TKO.

In the UAE Warriors-28 (International), Will Fleury of Ireland scored a unanimous decision over Syrian Tarek Suleiman (50-45, 50-45, 50-45), to take the inaugural UAE Warriors middleweight belt.

Corinne Laframboise made short work of Venezuelan Carolina Jimenez to grab the vacant women’s UAE Warriors flyweight crown. The Canadian ending the contest in 4 minutes 13 seconds in the first round.

UAE Warriors 29: Arabia 7 Results

Lightweight title contest: Mohammad Yahya+(UAE) beat Mohamed El Jaghdal+(MAR) - Submission+(arm-triangle choke) at 4:01 of Round 5

Featherweight title contest:Ali Al Qaisi+(JOR) beat Ahmed Faress+(EGY) - Unanimous Decision+(49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

Welterweight:Abdulla Al Boushieri+(KUW) versus Yassin Najid+(MAR) - No-contest+(Accidental illegal up-kick)

Featherweight:Hussein Salem+(IRQ) beat Hamza Bougamza+(SWE) - Submission+(rear-naked choke) at 3:34 of Round 1

Welterweight:Abdulla Aldabal+(UAE) beat Walid Saad+(EGY) - TKO+(ground and pound) at 0:38 of Round 1

Bantamweight:Faris Khaleel Asha+(JIR) beat Philippe Massoud+(LEB) - Split decision+(29-28, 28-29, 29-28)

Flyweight:Narwas Abzakh+(JOR) beat Mahmoud Atef+(MAR) - Submission+(baseball choke) at 0:35 of Round 1

Lightweight:Abdi Farah+(NOR) beat Fadi Al Wakeil+(SYR) - KO+(overhand right) at 1:07 of Round 1

Flyweight+(female):Hassna Gaber+(MAR) beat Sabriye Sengul+(TUR) - Unanimous decision+(29-28, 29-28, 30-27)

Welterweight:Adel Ibrahim+(LEB) beat Reda Maroufi+(MAR) - KO+(Punches) at 2:21 of Round 1

Flyweight:Mohammad Abzakh+(JOR) beat Jasser Belkilani+(TUN) - Unanimous decision+(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Flyweight:Mohamed Mamdooh+(EGY) beat Ekonian Andenet - Unanimous decision+(30-27, 30-27, 30-27)