The UAE Warriors is set to stage back-to-back fight cards for the first time in its history this week.
Friday sees UAE Warriors 17: Arabia 2 kick-off in the octagon followed by the international version – UAE Warriors 18 – 24 hours later, both at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.
Headlining the international card is the bantamweight title showdown between Xavier Alaoui, the Moroccan residing in Canada, and Vinicius de Oliveira of Brazil.
Both fighters have each won two bouts at the Warriors: Alaoui secured two unanimous decisions, while Vinicius won via one first-round knockout and a unanimous points verdict.
Fouad Darwish, managing director of Palms Sports, said the objective of staging back-to-back fight cards was to incorporate more competitors into the Warriors family.
“We are receiving fighting and fighter requests on a daily basis,” he said at the launch ceremony on Tuesday.
“We have the capability ... I can assure three to four fight nights without any problem.
“We should be able to bring this as a norm; if not back-to-back, it can be on a Friday and another two or three days later. We like the format and the reception we receive would certainly encourage us to do it.”
The international fight card consists of 13 contests that also include a women's flyweight contest between Corinne Laframboise of Canada and Sweden's Malin Hermansson.
Laframboise is returning for her third fight in the UAE Warriors. She made a winning start in the organisation’s 10th event in January 2020 against Cornelia Holm but lost to Manon Fiorot of France (TKO in the third round) in Warriors 12.
“My last fight was a war,” Laframboise, one of the first fighters to arrive for the UAE Warriors 18, said.
“I had a nice surgery to my nose. I had to take time out to recover and feel a lot better. I’m happy to be back in the cage with the current pandemic situation and the travel restrictions.
“I’m glad to be back in the octagon and show my new skills that I have been training on. I want to put on a good show as usual.”
The Arabia version is made up of 14 fights and include four Emiratis – Mohammed Yahya and Abdullah Mohammad Ali in the lightweight, and Mohammed Al Katheeri and Yousef Al Housani in the featherweight.
Al Housani, undefeated in two appearances, will face Jordanian Faris Asha while Al Katheeri is making his debut against Egyptian Mostafa Elhamy.
Ali, who has a 2-2 win/loss record, takes on Egyptian Medhat Hussein, and Yahya, the most experienced of the quartet with an 8-3 record, fights Jordanian Saleem Al Bakri, undefeated in two appearances.
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What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
THE BIO
Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist
Age: 78
Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”
Hobbies: his work - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”
Other hobbies: football
Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club
Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
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