The promoter of Quintet 5 says Dubai is the perfect place to host its first event in the Middle East and that bringing the best grapplers, jiu-jitsu, and MMA fighters to the country will inspire more people to enter combat sports.
Legends such as Kazushi Sakuraba, Renzo Gracie, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and American Bob Sapp will reignite their rivalries as captains of teams of five fighters in the innovative survival grappling format of Quintet.
One fighter from each team starts a match, with the only route to victory via submission. The winner stays on, and a new opponent from the other team steps up. If a match ends in a draw then both competitors are eliminated. This continues until one team is eliminated with all five fighters defeated, and the other is declared the winner.
On the night, the teams will compete in a bracket format with two semi-finals, and a final to crown the overall winner.
Tarek Suleiman, who has competed in UAE Warriors and the Professional Fighters' League, is the regional promoter for Quintet 5, which will take place on October 23 at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai.
The UAE has become a leading destination for combat sports. Abu Dhabi will host the world's lead MMA promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and its latest headline event, UFC 321, on Saturday, while the PFL has held two events in Dubai this year.
Suleiman believes the arrival of Quintet 5 only strengthens the UAE's standing.
“Quintet is one of the biggest promotions in terms of team grappling with the concept founded in 2018. Since then, it has grown rapidly and has changed the landscape of grappling and what better place to bring this to Dubai with Quintet 5, especially with the UAE boasting excellent infrastructure and home to plenty of combat sports gyms and talent,” Suleiman told The National.
“Also, grappling is a concept that is gaining popularity and it’s a little different to jiu-jitsu but having legends such as Renzo Gracie, who has excelled in this sport and has a strong following both in the UAE and abroad, not only proves there is a future for this but their involvement in Quintet 5 can help more people to enter different combat sport disciplines.”
Among those confirmed to take part include Thiago Sa, a Brazilian black-belt, jiu-jitsu’s Talison Soares and Pouya Rahmani, who competed in the PFL's most recent event in Dubai.
“We carefully chose names that represent the jiu-jitsu scene in the UAE, which is already strong while also making sure there is representation from MMA,” Suleiman said. “Plus, the Team Nogueira gym is one of the top hubs producing talent out there, so to bring these people together proves how highly regarded grappling is.”
Suleiman says there are plans to expand Quintet 5 throughout the Middle East, with events in Qatar and Kuwait in the pipeline.
“The idea is to put all these MMA and combat sports gyms from each country on one platform where they can compete against each other at national level, with plans to also host competitions where nations can compete internationally against each other in the future.”
