Ali Al Qaisi failed in his bid to become the UAE Warriors' first three-title champion after coming out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision against Sylvester Chipfumbu.
Jordanian Al Qaisi was previously the organisation's Intercontinental featherweight title-holder, and is also UAE Warriors Arabia champion, but was outclassed by his Zimbabwean opponent at Space 42 Arena in his bid to win the Intercontinental lightweight belt.
It was l Qaisi’s third defeat in four appearances with the Abu Dhabi promotion.
“I always had high regards for Ali. He’s a popular and regular figure in the promotion and to win the belt against him is truly an accomplishment for me,” a victorious Chipfumbu said.
“It was a close call, although [I got] the official verdict of unanimous decision. I was up against a local hero and a popular name in the promotion, but was always confident over the five, five-minute rounds.”
The result took Chipfumbu’s record in the UAE Warriors to 4-2 (win/loss) and 12-6 overall in mixed martial arts.
Asaf Chopurov, 23, extended his perfect record to eight wins with a first-round TKO over Brazilian Joao Pedro Saldanha in the co-main event.
It was the Azerbaijani bantamweight’s third win in the UAE Warriors, all inside the distance.
“I think the promotion is taking note of my performances and the results, and hopefully pushes me further on a title path. Sooner the better as I’m ready to go any time after this win,” Chopurov said.
Lebanon's Omran Chaaban recorded the quickest finish on the night when he stopped Brazilian Wellington Madeira in just 46 seconds with a combination of kicks that left his opponent unable to stand.
“I go for the win as always and was quite fortunate to finish my opponent in under a minute,” said Chaaban said who improved his overall MMA record to 9-1.
“How long a fight lasts is never in any fighter’s mind, but it can happen in this game. This time I got my opponent off guard, perhaps. It’s just those moments that may come your way. But happy with the end result, and looking forward to the next fight in the promotion.”
