The main event at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi is official after Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev took to the scales first at the weigh-in on Friday morning.
Keen no doubt to make a statement following his controversial missed weight at UFC 274 in May – he was subsequently stripped of the lightweight title - Oliveira ran onto stage before clocking in at 154.5 lbs.
The Brazilian, half a pound over the 155lb limit back in May, was cheered on by his heavy squad of teammates at the weigh-in.
Moments later, Makhachev was on the scale, with the No 4-ranked lightweight contender weighing in at an identical mark to Saturday night’s opponent.
The pair, considered two of the lead lightweights in the world, will battle for the vacant belt at the top of the bill at Etihad Arena.
Meanwhile, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski came in on the 155lb button on Friday morning. The Australian was serving as back-up to the main event, but will not be needed after both made weight.
However, his commendable endeavour should not be in vain: Volkanovski is expected to meet the winner of Oliveira-Makhachev early next year as he bids to become a two-division champion.
Saturday’s other championship bout has been made official, too. Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, set for the second defence of his crown, came in right on the 135lb limit, while rival TJ Dillashaw – the American is a former two-time bantamweight belt-holder – later matched his weight.
In one of the other standout clashes on the card, both Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley made weight. The hugely talented bantamweights, who got a little heated at the official press conference on Thursday night, were 136lbs and 135.5lbs, respectively.
One bout, though, has been cancelled: featherweight Zubaira Tukhugov, a teammate of Makhachev's, did not make weight by a considerable margin and therefore will not face Lucas Almeida.
-
Charles Oliveira, left, and Islam Makhachev face off at the press conference ahead of their lightweight title fight at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. All images by Chris Whiteoak / The National -
Charles Oliveira at the press conference before his lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. -
Islam Makhachev at the press conference before his lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. -
Charles Oliveira speaks ahead of his fight at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. -
Islam Makhachev before his lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira. -
Charles Oliveira at the press conference in Abu Dhabi. -
Petr Yan pushes Sean O'Malley ahead of their fight at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. -
Petr Yan at the UFC 280 press conference in Abu Dhabi. -
Petr Yan and Sean O'Malley face off. -
Sean O'Malley at the press conference before his fight at UFC 280. -
Aljamain Sterling at the press conference before his bantamweight title fight against TJ Dillashaw at UFC 280. -
Aljamain Sterling and TJ Dillashaw face off at the press conference. -
Aljamain Sterling walks onto the stage at the press conference in Abu Dhabi. -
Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady face off at the press conference before their fight at UFC 280. -
Belal Muhammad speaks at the press conference in Abu Dhabi. -
Katlyn Chookagian after the face off at the press conference before her fight against Manon Fiorot at UFC 280. -
Manon Fiorot at the press conference before her fight against Katlyn Chookagian. -
Beneil Dariush, left, and Mateusz Gamrot face off before their fight at UFC 280.
ENGLAND SQUAD
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
Zayed Sustainability Prize
While you're here
Richard Heydarian: Who'll lead the new world order? Not US or China
David Rothkopf: Brics is obsolete. It has been overtaken by events
Harsh V Pant: As China flexes its might, mid-size powers regroup
'The%20Alchemist's%20Euphoria'
Email sent to Uber team from chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi
From: Dara
To: Team@
Date: March 25, 2019 at 11:45pm PT
Subj: Accelerating in the Middle East
Five years ago, Uber launched in the Middle East. It was the start of an incredible journey, with millions of riders and drivers finding new ways to move and work in a dynamic region that’s become so important to Uber. Now Pakistan is one of our fastest-growing markets in the world, women are driving with Uber across Saudi Arabia, and we chose Cairo to launch our first Uber Bus product late last year.
Today we are taking the next step in this journey—well, it’s more like a leap, and a big one: in a few minutes, we’ll announce that we’ve agreed to acquire Careem. Importantly, we intend to operate Careem independently, under the leadership of co-founder and current CEO Mudassir Sheikha. I’ve gotten to know both co-founders, Mudassir and Magnus Olsson, and what they have built is truly extraordinary. They are first-class entrepreneurs who share our platform vision and, like us, have launched a wide range of products—from digital payments to food delivery—to serve consumers.
I expect many of you will ask how we arrived at this structure, meaning allowing Careem to maintain an independent brand and operate separately. After careful consideration, we decided that this framework has the advantage of letting us build new products and try new ideas across not one, but two, strong brands, with strong operators within each. Over time, by integrating parts of our networks, we can operate more efficiently, achieve even lower wait times, expand new products like high-capacity vehicles and payments, and quicken the already remarkable pace of innovation in the region.
This acquisition is subject to regulatory approval in various countries, which we don’t expect before Q1 2020. Until then, nothing changes. And since both companies will continue to largely operate separately after the acquisition, very little will change in either teams’ day-to-day operations post-close. Today’s news is a testament to the incredible business our team has worked so hard to build.
It’s a great day for the Middle East, for the region’s thriving tech sector, for Careem, and for Uber.
Uber on,
Dara
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20APPLE%20M3%20MACBOOK%20AIR%20(13%22)
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
COMPANY%20PROFILE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Cofe
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 80-100
Amount raised: $13m
Investors: KISP ventures, Cedar Mundi, Towell Holding International, Takamul Capital, Dividend Gate Capital, Nizar AlNusif Sons Holding, Arab Investment Company and Al Imtiaz Investment Group
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
UAE%20medallists%20at%20Asian%20Games%202023
SPECS
Afro%20salons
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
What's%20in%20my%20pazhamkootan%3F
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
SHAITTAN
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
National Editorial: Suleimani has been killed, now we must de-escalate
Mina Al Oraibi: Air strike casts a long shadow over the decade ahead
Jack Moore: Why the assassination is such a monumental gamble
Matthew Levitt: Iran retains its ability to launch terror attacks
Damien McElroy: A CEO tasked with spreading Iran's influence
Hussein Ibish: Trump's order on solid constitutional ground
Rashmee Roshan Lall: Sound of silence in South Asia
Explained
UAE and Coronavirus
Comment on Coronavirus
PROFILE BOX
Company name: Overwrite.ai
Founder: Ayman Alashkar
Started: Established in 2020
Based: Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai
Sector: PropTech
Initial investment: Self-funded by founder
Funding stage: Seed funding, in talks with angel investors
Empires%20of%20the%20Steppes%3A%20A%20History%20of%20the%20Nomadic%20Tribes%20Who%20Shaped%20Civilization
Champions parade (UAE timings)
7pm Gates open
8pm Deansgate stage showing starts
9pm Parade starts at Manchester Cathedral
9.45pm Parade ends at Peter Street
10pm City players on stage
11pm event ends
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
RESULTS
Welterweight
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) beat Mostafa Radi (PAL)
(Unanimous points decision)
Catchweight 75kg
Anas Siraj Mounir (MAR) beat Leandro Martins (BRA)
(Second round knockout)
Flyweight (female)
Manon Fiorot (FRA) beat Corinne Laframboise (CAN)
(RSC in third round)
Featherweight
Bogdan Kirilenko (UZB) beat Ahmed Al Darmaki
(Disqualification)
Lightweight
Izzedine Al Derabani (JOR) beat Rey Nacionales (PHI)
(Unanimous points)
Featherweight
Yousef Al Housani (UAE) beat Mohamed Fargan (IND)
(TKO first round)
Catchweight 69kg
Jung Han-gook (KOR) beat Max Lima (BRA)
(First round submission by foot-lock)
Catchweight 71kg
Usman Nurmogamedov (RUS) beat Jerry Kvarnstrom (FIN)
(TKO round 1).
Featherweight title (5 rounds)
Lee Do-gyeom (KOR) v Alexandru Chitoran (ROU)
(TKO round 1).
Lightweight title (5 rounds)
Bruno Machado (BRA) beat Mike Santiago (USA)
(RSC round 2).
While you're here
National Editorial: Covid-hit India needs the world's solidarity and support
Rebecca Bundhun: Covid-19 jeopardising education of millions in India
Chitrabhanu Kadalayil: Is India's federalism facing needless stress tests?
Johann Chacko: What Kerala can teach us all about flattening the curve
Kunal Purohit: India's migrant labour crisis is a chance to fix an old wrong
Disturbing%20facts%20and%20figures
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed

