UFC Fight Island: Amir Albazi dedicates victory to people of Iraq


John McAuley
  • English
  • Arabic

Iraqi Amir Albazi dedicated his win on UFC debut to his country of birth as he set his sights on one day competing for the flyweight belt.

The Baghdad-born fighter, who was forced to flee Iraq with his family almost two decades ago, defeated Malcolm Gordon at UFC Fight Night 2 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

The third fight of the night at Flash Forum, Albazi triumphed by a triangle choke towards the end of the opening round - the first time in the UFC this year that someone has prevailed by that method.

Albazi had agreed to the fight only on July 8 following Aleksander Doskalchuk's withdrawal. UFC Fight Night 2 was the third of four events on the inaugural Fight Island.

Speaking afterwards, a clearly delighted Albazi said: “Wow. Iraq has been struggling a lot, since I left 20 years ago until now. It just really comes from my heart. I want to give them something to smile about, something they can be happy and proud about.”

Albazi, 26, was out to make a statement on Sunday, especially with UFC president Dana White watching octagon-side. Albazi, who lives now in London having arrived in England via Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and Sweden, duly delivered, before calling on the promotion to give him performance of the night.

That accolade, which carries with it a $50,000 (Dh183,600) bonus, eventually went to Brazilians Ariane Lipski and Deiveson Figueiredo, with the latter claiming the flyweight title in the process.

“If Dana gave me the $50Gs I’d stay on the island and fight again next week,” said Albazi, who sought out White immediately following his victory. “Yesterday at the weigh-in, he was speaking in the locker room saying we shouldn’t leave it to the judges and go make a performance of your life. And that’s exactly what I tried to do.

“I felt like I was in control standing up, took it to the ground, then submitted [Gordon] last minute. I think that was performance of the night.”

Albazi said he felt surprisingly relaxed ahead of what was the biggest fight of his career thus far.

“To be honest, crazy enough, I thought I would experience more nerves in the UFC,” he said. “But I was just calm and it felt like home. This is what I do for a living. Nothing different right there.

“I took the fight on 10 days’ notice. I know what tools I can bring to the table. I’m just here and showed my skill set.”

Asked what message he sent out with his display, Albazi said: “That I’m always ready. This was without a proper, proper training camp; then you can just imagine if you give me six-eight weeks to prepare, what I can bring.

“I think I’m a champion-level athlete. And I’m coming for the belt. I’m not here just to be any other flyweight.”

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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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How being social media savvy can improve your well being

Next time when procastinating online remember that you can save thousands on paying for a personal trainer and a gym membership simply by watching YouTube videos and keeping up with the latest health tips and trends.

As social media apps are becoming more and more consumed by health experts and nutritionists who are using it to awareness and encourage patients to engage in physical activity.

Elizabeth Watson, a personal trainer from Stay Fit gym in Abu Dhabi suggests that “individuals can use social media as a means of keeping fit, there are a lot of great exercises you can do and train from experts at home just by watching videos on YouTube”.

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Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures

Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)

Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy

Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy

Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy

Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium

UAE squad

Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia

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Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah 

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

The biog

Name: Salvador Toriano Jr

Age: 59

From: Laguna, The Philippines

Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips

Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.