After five years of waiting, Victor Nunes finally has the opportunity to win an MMA belt when he takes on Somali British fighter Muhidin Abubakar in the interim flyweight championship at the UAE Warriors 60 this weekend.
The Abu Dhabi promotion is staging their second back-to-back fight cards with Arabia versus Africa on Thursday and the international card on Friday, both at the Space 42 Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Nunes, 33 and who has lived in Abu Dhabi for the past seven years, arrives on the back of a 6-1 (win/loss) record in the promotion and 11-5 overall tally.
The Brazilian won his last three fights quite impressively, with a unanimous decision over Aaron Aby of Wales followed by two first round stoppages of Jordanian Nawras Abzakh and Genil Francisco of the Philippines.
“I’m very happy for this moment which I have been waiting for the last five years – to fight for a title in front of my family, friends and colleagues,” Nunes told The National at the pre-fight media day on Wednesday.
“I had a great camp for this fight and I'm more than ready to get this belt. Abu Dhabi is one of the best places to train and have a pre-fight camp in the best facilities and with so many of my colleagues around.”
With the title at stake, Nunes is confident ahead of the biggest fight night of his career.
“I have never been in a title fight, but I have been working hard to get there, and now that I have earned it, there’s no stopping me from going on to get the belt,” he said.
“I don’t know how tough my opponent is going to be. I can only know when I actually take him on. He has fought in many promotions and in different countries, but I have been working in all areas and more than ready for a win on the night.”
His opponent Abubakar’s debut in Abu Dhabi ended in defeat to South African Luthando Biko back in September 2023.
That was his only loss, and he’s since bounced back with six straight wins. The last two were in the UAE Warriors – a unanimous decision over South African Gift Walker and Chilean Alfredo Muaiad in round one.
Abubakar’s overall record of 9-1 looks pretty good and the 26-year-old is equally confident of walking away with the interim championship.
“For me, it’s another fight and another opponent. My preparations have been like any other, but I feel at the top of my game for a championship contest,” he said.
“I have proved that in my last two visits to Abu Dhabi. Obviously, I have earned this moment and I’m ready and confident to achieve what I have been working for.”
Aside from the main card, another interesting contest is the co-main event between Brazilian Vinicius Moreira and Canadian Tanner Boser in the 265lbs division that also includes ten other contests.
The interim title belt is a new addition to the promotion after existing belt holders moved on to bigger international events and institutions.
“The UFC is the biggest. They stand at the helm of the MMA world, and we have lost a few fighters to them,” Fouad Darwish, chief executive of Palms Sports, said.
“But I don't consider this loss. They have moved and we are very cognizant of where we stand. I'm not saying we compete with them.
“On the contrary, we like to be the funnel that sends fighters to them. It gives me pride and pleasure that many of our fighters are going there. So, we have lost people with titles.
“It was difficult for us to continue seeing titles being lost for those who would come and fight with us one or two fights and they leave. So, we had to create something that would create more time and give a twist for getting an undisputed belt.”
The action begins with the 13-fight Arabia versus Africa card, highlighted by the bantamweight contest between Abdul Hussein and Sami Yahia and the co-main fight of Islem Masraf and Diego Bandu.
RESULTS
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
What is a Ponzi scheme?
A fraudulent investment operation where the scammer provides fake reports and generates returns for old investors through money paid by new investors, rather than through ligitimate business activities.
More on Quran memorisation:
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
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Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
