Mohammad Yahya at the Etihad Arena ahead of his historic UFC 294 bout against Tim Peek. Photo: UFC
Mohammad Yahya at the Etihad Arena ahead of his historic UFC 294 bout against Tim Peek. Photo: UFC
Mohammad Yahya at the Etihad Arena ahead of his historic UFC 294 bout against Tim Peek. Photo: UFC
Mohammad Yahya at the Etihad Arena ahead of his historic UFC 294 bout against Tim Peek. Photo: UFC

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UFC 294: Mohammed Yahya targets 'Fight of Night' as he represents UAE in Abu Dhabi debut

Fighter will become first Emirati to compete in promotion on Saturday

John McAuley
John McAuley

October 18, 2023

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  • Arabic

Mohammed Yahya is not only confident of landing a victory on his historic debut in the UFC this weekend in Abu Dhabi, he is targeting a Fight of the Night bonus too.

The UAE athlete, 29, will enter the record books at UFC 294 on Saturday night when he becomes the first Emirati to compete in the world’s leading Mixed Martial Arts promotion.

Yahya, a UAE Warriors Arabian champion at lightweight, signed with the UFC only last month. On Saturday, he takes on American Trevor Peek at Etihad Arena.

With a professional record that reads 12-3, Yahya boasts more experience in the paid ranks than his opponent – Peek is 8-1, but has fought twice in the UFC already – and the Dubai-based fighter believes the two styles should make for a gripping encounter. The UFC awards $50,000 bonuses for standout bouts.

“I feel like it’s a great opponent for me to showcase my skills,” Yahya said during Wednesday’s official pre-event media day on Yas Island. “He’s tough, he comes forward. I love a person that comes forward. We could get ‘Fight of the Night’ with that.

  • UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev speaks to the media before his championship fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National
    UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev speaks to the media before his championship fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. All photos Chris Whiteoak / The National
  • Islam Makhachev speaks to the media before his fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.
    Islam Makhachev speaks to the media before his fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.
  • UFC flyweight champion Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before the lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
    UFC flyweight champion Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before the lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
  • Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before his fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
    Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before his fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
  • Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before his championship fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
    Alexander Volkanovski speaks to the media before his championship fight against Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
  • UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev speaks to the media before his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.
    UFC middleweight Khamzat Chimaev speaks to the media before his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.
  • Khamzat Chimaev poses for photos after speaking to the media ahead of his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.
    Khamzat Chimaev poses for photos after speaking to the media ahead of his fight against Kamaru Usman at UFC 294.
  • UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev speaks to the media before his fight against Tim Elliott at UFC 294.
    UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev speaks to the media before his fight against Tim Elliott at UFC 294.
  • Muhammad Mokaev speaks to the media before his fight against Tim Elliott at UFC 294.
    Muhammad Mokaev speaks to the media before his fight against Tim Elliott at UFC 294.
  • UFC lightweight Mohammed Yahya speaks to the media before his fight against Trevor Peek at UFC 294.
    UFC lightweight Mohammed Yahya speaks to the media before his fight against Trevor Peek at UFC 294.

“So I’m looking forward to it. I feel like I’m better than him in every aspect – and I’m coming.”

The son of an Emirati father and English mother, Yahya was born in Oxford, England, before moving to Dubai when he was one. He began Mixed Martial Arts aged 14 and eventually climbed to 22-0 as an amateur kickboxer.

Yahya, who competed as a pro in both Desert Force and Bellator, won seven of eight bouts in the Abu Dhabi-based UAE Warriors. Defending the lightweight Arabian belt three times, he currently rides a five-fight winning streak.

“I’m very proud to represent my country in the biggest league,” he said. “It’s always been a dream and I’m here now, so I’m ready to represent.

"I always thought I’d get the opportunity, and I feel the opportunity is up to God. All I did was stay ready. And, when it does come, I need to be 100 per cent ready, and that’s where I am now.”

Asked about competing in front of a heavy home support in Abu Dhabi, Yahya said: “For sure, the motivation is crazy. This has been our dream, not just for me, but my team and my brothers. We’re looking forward to putting on a good show and representing in the octagon.

“I like to perform, to put on a good show for everyone watching. I never like to have a boring fight."

Abdul Jabar Qahraman was meeting supporters in his campaign office in the southern Afghan province of Helmand when a bomb hidden under a sofa exploded on Wednesday.

The blast in the provincial capital Lashkar Gah killed the Afghan election candidate and at least another three people, Interior Minister Wais Ahmad Barmak told reporters. Another three were wounded, while three suspects were detained, he said.

The Taliban – which controls much of Helmand and has vowed to disrupt the October 20 parliamentary elections – claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mr Qahraman was at least the 10th candidate killed so far during the campaign season, and the second from Lashkar Gah this month. Another candidate, Saleh Mohammad Asikzai, was among eight people killed in a suicide attack last week. Most of the slain candidates were murdered in targeted assassinations, including Avtar Singh Khalsa, the first Afghan Sikh to run for the lower house of the parliament.

The same week the Taliban warned candidates to withdraw from the elections. On Wednesday the group issued fresh warnings, calling on educational workers to stop schools from being used as polling centres.

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Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

PROFILE OF SWVL

Started: April 2017

Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh

Based: Cairo, Egypt

Sector: transport

Size: 450 employees

Investment: approximately $80 million

Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani

Hajj 2019
Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
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Updated: October 18, 2023, 7:57 PM
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