Juscelino Ferreira has insisted on a UAE Warriors Mixed Martial Art title fight after knocking out their light heavyweight champion Tarek Suleiman with a crushing left hook to the jaw.
The Brazilian, 34, returned to the octagon for the first time in more than a year but didn’t show any rustiness as he caught his opponent off guard to end the contest with a minute and 25 seconds left in round one at the Mubadala Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday.
“I’m back and I want to get a title belt,” Ferreira yelled after ending the Syrian’s unbeaten record in his third appearance in the UAE Warriors 11 main fight in the catchweight 90-kilogram.
Ferreira’s last appearance was in UAE Warriors 6 on May 2019 in which Suleiman, 30, defeated Britain’s UFC veteran Oli Thompson in the title fight for the light heavyweight belt.
He is now undefeated in his last four fights and is hoping he would get that opportunity to fight for a UAE Warriors title belt.
“I’m ready and I’m asking the UAE Warriors for that opportunity,” Ferreira said. “I have worked very hard for this and the result has made me hungrier, and above all a title fight.”
The most exciting contest on the night, however, turned out to the be the main supporting contest between Cameroonian Jaures Dea and Brazilian Andre Pinheiro in the featherweight 66kg.
Dea won a unanimous points decision in only the second fight that went the full distance of three five-minute rounds.
The result stretched the Cameroonian’s record in the UAE Warriors to three in three appearances and his overall tally to 6-2 (win/loss).
Dea dominated the contest from the outset by scoring consistently with punches and kicks while avoiding his opponent’s take down attempts for ground fighting.
Emirati Youesf Al Husani made a winning debut when he stopped Egyptian Mohamed Allam with a rear naked choke in 1m 37 seconds in round one.
Al Husani made full use of his jiu-jitsu skills on his successful MMA appearance. And having begun his new journey in MMA, he’s already looking ahead to face his next opponent.
“I have to thank the Warriors for providing me with this opportunity and after this result I’m now looking forward to take my new adventure to the next level,” he said.
“This obviously was a perfect start. You always dream this kind of result and I’m really glad I managed to do that. I was also confident from the outset. I have been training very hard for this moment and so happy.
“I will always celebrate and cherish this moment. It wasn’t an easy fight as it may have appeared to look as it was because of the quick finish. It was far from that.
“I managed to get at him early and use my jiu-jitsu skills to good effect. Perhaps, I was also lucky tonight.”
Al Husani's more experienced compatriot Ahmed Al Darmaki took his record to 6-2 with another first round win over Ugandan Kagimu Kigga, stopping the contest with a guillotine choke in 3m 25s in round one.
The UAE Warriors 11 was staged without an audience. It was the first sporting event to take place in the country after the Covid-19 lockdown but braodcast live on television and YouTube.
Fouad Darwish, general manager of Palms Sports that oversea the UAE Warriors, said to accomplish the first sporting event at such time was multi-facetted and multi-purpose.
“We want to bring sporting events back to the UAE by adapting and facing challenges, and leaping over the obstacles,” he said.
“For the last few years we have been accustomed Abu Dhabi as a city to host international mega events. And we hope one day, the home-grown warriors in Abu Dhabi can make to those mega events.
“We always strive hard to bring the best possible fight card in the UAE Warriors and more MMA excitement to the UAE.”
The UAE Warriors 12 is slated for July 31 soon after the historic UFC Fight Island’s four fight nights on 11, 15, 18 and 25 of that month.
