Back for the first time at the scene of his greatest professional achievement to date, Jan Blachowicz wore the smile of a man content with life.
Impending UFC light-heavyweight title defence, or not.
"One year ago. Yeah, it’s a lucky place for me. Good memories. Good weather. I feel great," Blachowicz told reporters on Wednesday at the Hilton Abu Dhabi Yas Island, about a stone’s throw from the Etihad Arena where he puts his belt on the line on Saturday night against Glover Teixeira in the headline bout at UFC 267.
“Happy to be back and fight here again.”
Not everything, though, was exactly how it was 13 months ago. Back then, inside the Fight Island “bubble” and at du Forum, Blachowicz dropped Dominick Reyes in the second round at UFC 253 to claim the vacant crown. Professionally, life took a steep upward turn: at 37, and having experienced the highs and lows of the elite fight game, Blachowicz had extended a late-career resurgence to nine victories from 10 bouts. His win streak sits at five.
Things are pretty sweet personally, too. Blachowicz is in town with Jan Junior, having become a father for the first time earlier late last year.
“I’m just happy,” he said. “Just happy becoming the UFC champion. I do this all my life and finally I’m at the top. And I like it. I don’t want to go anywhere. I will stay on top. I enjoy my life. A lot of good things have happened to me, so we just enjoy it every day.”
Saturday, though, is business. Serious business at that. Blachowicz’s second title defence comes against the division’s No 1-ranked contender. Teixeira pro storyline runs kind of similar; he has rebounded from trials and tribulations to also put together five wins on the bounce. Saturday represents his second shot at a UFC belt. Seven years separate them.
Turning 42 on Thursday, Teixeira's clearly making the most of his days remaining in the world's lead mixed martial arts promotion.
Refreshingly – or not, depending on your persuasion – the two best light-heavyweights on the planet don’t hold any ill feeling toward the other.
“He’s a great opponent with great skills,” Blachowicz said. “A lot of experience. Longer than me in the sport. We are friends, no bad blood between us.
"When the fight will start I have to knock him out and I will do it. He just deserves this title shot. Anyway he’s going to lose it, but he deserves this.”
Teixeira, meanwhile, is one bout away from becoming the second oldest UFC athlete to win gold, after Randy Couture (43 years, eight months) in 2007. That’s quite the claim to fame.
“I love it when someone overcomes the odds, breaks the rules,” he said. “Doing something not many people have. I win this title and who did that before? Only one guy in the UFC. It’s a hard thing to do and I’m glad that I’m here. And I’m going to get it Saturday night.”
Having lost his other championship fight, to Jon Jones in April 2014, it’s been some journey since. It will be, should he get his hand raised on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a great fight because the style match-up is amazing,” Teixeira said. “Jan, he likes to come in and finish fights, and goes after people. You know me, the record speaks for itself. I’m a fighter.
“I know how strong he is. I have the most submissions in UFC, my jiu-jitsu is MMA jiu-jitsu. He’s a well-rounded fighter. That’s why he’s a champion now. But I’m not concerned about it. But I respect it.
“The best is going to win. Like my mum says all the time, ‘I’m praying so no one gets hurt’. Hopefully no one gets injured bad, but somebody’s going to get hurt. And it’s going to be Jan.”
Earlier on Wednesday, another light-heavyweight on the UFC 267 main card, Volkan Oezdemir, referenced Teixeira’s relentless style, likening him to a zombie.
"If he’s a zombie," Blachowicz said, "you know how to kill a zombie: you need to hit him in the head, very hard. So I will do it.”
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The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
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HAJJAN
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium (Malacca, Malayisa)
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia scheduled for October 10
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Tuesday results:
- Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
- UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
- Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets
Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong
The specs: 2017 Dodge Viper SRT
Price, base / as tested Dh460,000
Engine 8.4L V10
Transmission Six-speed manual
Power 645hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 813Nm @ 5,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 16.8L / 100km
