Xavier Alaui and Manon Fiorot scored contrasting victories on their way to UAE Warriors Mixed Martial Arts world titles.
Alaui went through the full five rounds to become the first holder of the UAE Warriors bantamweight world title while Fiorot finished off her opponent with a flurry of punches in a first round stoppage in the women’s flyweight.
Alaui edged Jaures Dea by a unanimous points decision and was made to go the full distance by the Cameroonian in the 14th edition of the promotion at the Zayed Sports City’s Jiu-Jitsu Arena on Friday.
“I am so happy and it was my dream to be a world champion,” Alaui said, describing the contest as a “25 minutes of hell and war”.
At the pre-fight conference, Alaui predicted a win by knockout but he really had to work hard on his second UAE Warriors appearance.
“I must say mind games are huge in this game,” he said when reminded of his pre-fight prediction.
“So there was definitely some mind games but I thought I could knock him out early. I dropped him with a right hand and kicked him in the head (in the first round) but I have to say this guy is strong and he got a good chin.
“It was hard to put him out than I thought I could. Yes, I went the whole five rounds. This dude is strong but it wasn’t enough (for him).”
The Canada-based Moroccan, 29, appears to be an exciting new recruit for the UAE Warriors after clinching the title fight, taking his career record to 12-3.
“It could be anything next for me but I strongly believe this is the platform and not just a launch pad (for any MMA fighter) because I’m the champion of the world in this promotion,” Alaui added.
In contrast, Fiorot made short work of Gabriele Campo after dropping the Argentine to the canvas with an early right jab and then finishing her off with a flurry of punches with 12 seconds left in the opening round.
“From the onset, I said I wanted to finish off the contest as quickly as possible and to achieve it was great,” the French fighter said.
“I’m so happy and thankful for providing me with this opportunity in my third appearance for this promotion. I’ll be ready and looking forward to comeback and defend this belt.”
