ABU DHABI // Some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts will appear in the capital in a competition to be hosted on Yas Island. The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) organisers today unveiled details of the competition, which will come to the UAE in April. Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World concert arena on Yas Island will play host to two world title bouts and clashes between some of the toughest fighters in the UFC. The one-night competition on April 10 will be the first time that the billion-dollar UFC brand has arranged such an event in the Middle East. It will also be the first time that UFC fights, which are most often staged indoors, will be held in an outdoor arena.
The sport, which pits fighters trained in a combination of martial arts such as jiu-jitsu, karate and kickboxing, is now one of the most popular televised combat sports in the world and is beamed into around 430 million homes in 130 countries. The fight-night, UFC 112, will see the middleweight champion Anderson Silva defend his middleweight belt against Vitor Belfort and BJ Penn, the reigning lightweight champion, lock horns with Frankie Edgar.
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