Abu Dhabi entered the world of mixed martial arts yesterday when Flash Entertainment confirmed it had bought a 10 per cent stake in the Las Vegas firm that owns the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
The UAE's first event, UFC 112, will be staged on April 10. It is expected the contest will be held outdoors and at night. Early contenders as venue to host the event, according to a source close to the negotiations, are the Emirates Palace hotel and Yas Marina Circuit.
The deal, financial details of which remain confidential, marks the latest chapter in a remarkable turnaround in the fighting league's fortunes.
After beginning as a bloody, no-holds-barred competition in 1993, the UFC endured a troubled adolescence before evolving into the increasingly mainstream sport it is today. Ringside seats at the once-a-month UFC events have become more coveted than their boxing equivalents.
UFC's principal owners are the Fertitta brothers, Lorenzo and Frank III, casino moguls who bought the franchise in 2001. Global expansion has long been their primary objective, and the UFC president, Dana White, first revealed the series was coming to Abu Dhabi when he visited the emirate last summer.
But industry insiders aside, few observers anticipated the investment by Flash, an Abu Dhabi Government subsidiary. One person in the know was Flash chairman, Ossama Khoreibi.
"Flash is committed to building Abu Dhabi's profile as an international entertainment destination, and this partnership provides further proof of our company's bold ambitions," he said.
Despite confidentiality clauses, it is understood the Fertitta brothers have sold 4.5 per cent of their individual holdings, leaving each brother with 40.5 per cent. White, the man who introduced the duo to the sport a decade ago, has relinquished one per cent and now holds a nine per cent stake.
The Fertitta brothers' company that owns UFC, Zuffa LLC, was estimated to be worth US$1 billion (Dh3.7bn) by Forbes in May 2008.
Money, according to Lorenzo Fertitta, was not the driving factor in partnering with Flash. "We don't need to raise any money; that wasn't the purpose," he said. "If we were going to bring somebody in, it was going to be with someone that could really be a true strategic partner and could help create an increased value for the company long-term."
That long-term interest is believed to centre on Flash's capacity to accelerate the UFC's growth regionally.
Flash's investment in the UFC appears timely, but the source revealed yesterday that Lorenzo Fertitta had been in Abu Dhabi last week to conclude a deal that had originally been "shook on" with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed in Morocco in December.
Sheikh Tahnoon, a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, is widely known as an avid mixed martial arts fan. He started the Abu Dhabi Combat Club more than 15 years ago and is the club's vice president. Sheikh Tahnoon is also the dominant force at the capital's wrestling, judo and jiu-Jitsu federations. Having had one-to-one training sessions with Sheikh Tahnoon during a trip to the emirate last month, Georges St Pierre, the UFC's welterweight champion, said the Abu Dhabi royal had hinted that an Abu Dhabi-UFC deal was in the works.
"Sheikh Tahnoon is driving mixed martial arts in the UAE," St Pierre said. "He is extremely passionate about the sport and all its forms. He wants it to grow."
While Sheikh Tahnoon's interest definitely preceded Flash's investment, a spokesman for the entertainment firm yesterday refused to say if he had any direct involvement in the UFC investment. "This acquisition has been made by Flash on the basis that it is consistent with our business objectives and goals for future development," he said.
Carlos Santos, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer at Abu Dhabi Combat Club, had a different opinion. Asked whether Flash's purchase of 10 per cent of the UFC was the brainchild of the sheikh, Santos said: "The royal family takes care of Flash, so of course it is him, 100 per cent. Sheikh Tahnoon is always trying to do what is best for jiu-jitsu and other mixed martial arts in the Emirates, and this move is very, very good."
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
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Based: Tunisia
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
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Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
England's all-time record goalscorers:
Wayne Rooney 53
Bobby Charlton 49
Gary Lineker 48
Jimmy Greaves 44
Michael Owen 40
Tom Finney 30
Nat Lofthouse 30
Alan Shearer 30
Viv Woodward 29
Frank Lampard 29
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Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
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Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
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