Saudi Arabia was at the centre of the Mixed Martial Arts world on Saturday night when the Professional Fighters League and Bellator put forward several of their champions in a promotion vs promotion event in Riyadh.
Here is a recap of the historic night, in ascending order from first fight to headliner.
Basahel bt Pereira - Decision
In the first bout of the evening, an amateur flyweight contest, Saudi Arabia's Malik Basahel claimed a unanimous points victory over Brazilian Vinicius Pereira. "The Storm" earned the decision on all three judges' scorecards 30-27, 29-28, 30-27 to take his amateur record to 18-2-1. It was the first defeat of Pereira's amateur career, moving his record to 5-1-0.
Al Qahtani bt Rao - Round 3 TKO
Abdullah Al Qahtani thrilled the home crowd with a third-round TKO win over India's Edukondala Rao in their lightweight bout. One of the leading lights of the Saudi MMA scene, "The Ripper" was keen to put on a show for his fans and managed to get the stoppage with just over 20 seconds remaining in the fight, the referee stepping in as Al Qahtani rained down punches and kicks on Rao. The victory, his third straight since joining the PFL, takes Al Qahtani's professional record to 8-1-0.
Shields bt DeSantis - Decision
Competing in her third MMA bout, boxing great Claressa Shields earned a split-decision victory over Kelsey DeSantis in their catchweight bout, edging the contest on the judges' scorecards 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. It was a historic occasion as the first professional women's MMA bout to be staged in Saudi Arabia. In a close fight, DeSantis came on strong in the final round, but Shields' superior boxing work in the first two just about proved the difference in the eyes of two of the judges. Shields, the unbeaten and undisputed middleweight world champion, is expected to return to boxing for her next fight.
Ali Walsh bt Palacios - Decision
Biaggio Ali Walsh, the grandson of the great Muhammad Ali, made his pro MMA debut in Riyadh on Saturday night and came through with a unanimous points victory over Emmanuel Palacios. Ahead of the fight, Ali Walsh told The National about the pressure of living up to the famous name, and he did his grandfather proud by winning all three rounds of the lightweight fight to earn a 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 win.
Pico bt Corrales - Round 1 TKO
An all-American rematch as explosive as their first fight but with an opposite outcome, Aaron Pico avenged his 67-second knockout defeat to Henry Corrales in January 2019 with a first-round stoppage of his own in Riyadh. Corrales was a last-minute opponent after Gabriel Braga withdrew from the lightweight fight, but hopes of a repeat win were dashed under a flurry of Pico punches and elbows late in the opening round. The win moves Pico to 13-4-0 as a professional while Corrales takes his record to 21-8-0.
AJ McKee bt Clay Collard - Round 1 Submission
In the first fight of the main event, AJ McKee delivered a swift victory over Clay Collard in this lightweight bout with an armbar submission just 1:10 into the first round. It was a statement victory from the former Bellator featherweight champion, which will boost his hopes of challenging for Usman Nurmagomedov's lightweight title. McKee, who has only lost once in 22 professional MMA bouts, is ranked fifth in the Bellator lightweight standings.
Romero bt Santos - Decision
Yoel Romero bounced back from his Bellator light-heavyweight title defeat to Vadim Nemkov with a unanimous points win over Thiago Santos, taking the decision 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Using the lead-leg kick to great effect, Romero earned a methodical victory to take his professional MMA record to 16-7-0, while Santos fell to 22-12-0 with a fifth defeat in his last six fights.
Vadim Nemkov bt Bruno Cappelozza - Round 2 Submission
Vadim Nemkov proved why he is top of the Bellator pound-for-pound rankings by defeating Bruno Cappelozza via second-round submission in a battle of former champions. Nemkov, who vacated his Bellator light-heavyweight title last month to make a return to heavyweight, displayed his class with an arm-triangle choke that left Cappelozza unconscious. It was about as emphatic a warning to his Bellator rivals as Nemkov could have made.
Jackson bt Cooper - Round 2 TKO
Jason Jackson delivered a performance worthy of his champion status as the Bellator welterweight king obliterated Ray Cooper III with a second-round stoppage. After landing a low kick to Cooper's left knee that sent him to the canvas, Jackson pounced and landed a series of heavy blows, leading the referee to intervene and awarding him the TKO victory in this 182-pound catchweight fight. The win was Jackson's eighth in a row and moves his record to 18-4-0. The defeat was Cooper's second in as many fights and his record now stands at 25-10-1.
Eblen bt Kasanganay - Decision
Johnny Eblen survived an almighty scare against Impa Kasanganay to earn the narrowest of split-decision victories and extend his unbeaten professional MMA record. Eblen, the Bellator middleweight champion, suffered a knockdown in the second round and had to withstand a barrage of punches from Kasanganay. But the American managed to hold on and his superior wrestling and grappling attacks helped him edge the contest 29-28, 28-29, 29-28. Eblen's record now stands at 15-0-0 while Kasanganay is 15-4-0.
Ferreira bt Bader - Round 1 KO
In a showdown between the heavyweight champions of the two competing promotions, there was one clear and decisive winner as the PFL's Renan Ferreira demolished Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds. It was a spectacular display from the Brazilian, who landed a powerful right hand on Bellator champion Bader in the first exchange to send the American to the canvas, before hammering down heavy fists to end the fight.
The statement victory certainly caught the attention of Francis Ngannou, who was sitting cageside, and increased the prospect of Ferreira defending his title against the Cameroonian later in the year. “I am the real problem out here,” Ferreira said. “I am the record breaker. I am the record setter. Francis, where you at? I’m waiting for you. Let’s go, let’s do this.”
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
Tank warfare
Lt Gen Erik Petersen, deputy chief of programs, US Army, has argued it took a “three decade holiday” on modernising tanks.
“There clearly remains a significant armoured heavy ground manoeuvre threat in this world and maintaining a world class armoured force is absolutely vital,” the general said in London last week.
“We are developing next generation capabilities to compete with and deter adversaries to prevent opportunism or miscalculation, and, if necessary, defeat any foe decisively.”
Kibsons%20Cares
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERecycling%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fstrong%3EAny%20time%20you%20receive%20a%20Kibsons%20order%2C%20you%20can%20return%20your%20cardboard%20box%20to%20the%20drivers.%20They%E2%80%99ll%20be%20happy%20to%20take%20it%20off%20your%20hands%20and%20ensure%20it%20gets%20reused%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EKind%20to%20health%20and%20planet%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ESolar%20%E2%80%93%2025-50%25%20of%20electricity%20saved%3Cbr%3EWater%20%E2%80%93%2075%25%20of%20water%20reused%3Cbr%3EBiofuel%20%E2%80%93%20Kibsons%20fleet%20to%20get%2020%25%20more%20mileage%20per%20litre%20with%20biofuel%20additives%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESustainable%20grocery%20shopping%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3Cbr%3ENo%20antibiotics%3Cbr%3ENo%20added%20hormones%3Cbr%3ENo%20GMO%3Cbr%3ENo%20preservatives%3Cbr%3EMSG%20free%3Cbr%3E100%25%20natural%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
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.”
MATCH INFO
Manchester United v Manchester City, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Match is on BeIN Sports
Friday's schedule at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 qualifying, 10:15am
Formula 2, practice 11:30am
Formula 1, first practice, 1pm
GP3 qualifying session, 3.10pm
Formula 1 second practice, 5pm
Formula 2 qualifying, 7pm
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
%3Cp%3EMATA%0D%3Cbr%3EArtist%3A%20M.I.A%0D%3Cbr%3ELabel%3A%20Island%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
25%20Days%20to%20Aden
%3Cp%3EAuthor%3A%20Michael%20Knights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EPages%3A%20256%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAvailable%3A%20January%2026%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Uefa Champions League play-off
First leg: Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)
Ajax v Dynamo Kiev
Second leg: Tuesday, August 28, 11pm (UAE)
Dynamo Kiev v Ajax
MWTC info
Tickets to the MWTC range from Dh100 and can be purchased from www.ticketmaster.ae or by calling 800 86 823 from within the UAE or 971 4 366 2289 from outside the country and all Virgin Megastores. Fans looking to attend all three days of the MWTC can avail of a special 20 percent discount on ticket prices.
Results
1. New Zealand Daniel Meech – Fine (name of horse), Richard Gardner – Calisto, Bruce Goodin - Backatorps Danny V, Samantha McIntosh – Check In. Team total First round: 200.22; Second round: 201.75 – Penalties 12 (jump-off 40.16 seconds) Prize €64,000
2. Ireland Cameron Hanley – Aiyetoro, David Simpson – Keoki, Paul Kennedy – Cartown Danger Mouse, Shane Breen – Laith. Team total 200.25/202.84 – P 12 (jump-off 51.79 – P17) Prize €40,000
3. Italy Luca Maria Moneta – Connery, Luca Coata – Crandessa, Simone Coata – Dardonge, Natale Chiaudani – Almero. Team total 130.82/198.-4 – P20. Prize €32,000
