UAE Warriors set to stage back-to-back fight cards for the first time

Zayed Sports City to host UAE Warriors Arabia on Friday and the international version 24 hours later

Xavier Alaoui lands a high kick on Jaures Dea in the UAE Warriors 14 bantamweight title fight at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena in Abu Dhabi on Friday, November 27, 2020. Courtesy Palms Sports

Jaures Dea lands a kick on Xavier Alaoui. Courtesy Palms Sports

Xavier Alaoui launches an attack during his victory over Jaures Dea. Courtesy Palms Sports

Gabriela Campo lands a punch on Manon Fiorot. Courtesy Palms Sports

Manon Fiorot takes down Gabriela Campo. Courtesy Palms Sports

Manon Fiorot punishes Gabriela Campo before the referee stopped the contest. Courtesy Palms Sports

Emirati Mohammad Yahya lands a high kick on Briton Dan Collins. Courtesy Palms Sports

A bloodied Russian Islam Mamedov lands one on Martun Mezhulmyan of Armenia but the latter went on to win the catchweight 73kg fight. Courtesy Palms Sports

Emirati Rashed Dawood made a sensational MMA debut. Here he is seen with a rear naked choke on Uzbek Otabek Kadirov. Courtesy Palms Sports

Ho Taek-oh lands a fierce right hand on Ronald Girones. Courtesy Palms Sports

Brazilian Vinicius de Oliveira has the Russian Furkatbek Yokubov down on the canvas. Courtesy Palms Sports

Hussein Salim of Iraq receives his award from Fouad Darwish, general manager of Palms Sports. Courtesy Palms Sports

Russian Arthur Zaynukov poses with Abdulmunam Al Hashemi, chairman of Palms Sports, after the awards. Courtesy Palms Sports

The UAE Warriors is set to stage back-to-back fight cards for the first time in its history this week.

Friday sees UAE Warriors 17: Arabia 2 kick-off in the octagon followed by the international version – UAE Warriors 18 – 24 hours later, both at the Jiu-Jitsu Arena at Zayed Sports City in Abu Dhabi.

Headlining the international card is the bantamweight title showdown between Xavier Alaoui, the Moroccan residing in Canada, and Vinicius de Oliveira of Brazil.

Both fighters have each won two bouts at the Warriors: Alaoui secured two unanimous decisions, while Vinicius won via one first-round knockout and a unanimous points verdict.

Fouad Darwish, managing director of Palms Sports, said the objective of staging back-to-back fight cards was to incorporate more competitors into the Warriors family.

“We are receiving fighting and fighter requests on a daily basis,” he said at the launch ceremony on Tuesday.

“We have the capability ... I can assure three to four fight nights without any problem.

“We should be able to bring this as a norm; if not back-to-back, it can be on a Friday and another two or three days later. We like the format and the reception we receive would certainly encourage us to do it.”

The international fight card consists of 13 contests that also include a women's flyweight contest between Corinne Laframboise of Canada and Sweden's Malin Hermansson.

Laframboise is returning for her third fight in the UAE Warriors. She made a winning start in the organisation’s 10th event in January 2020 against Cornelia Holm but lost to Manon Fiorot of France (TKO in the third round) in Warriors 12.

“My last fight was a war,” Laframboise, one of the first fighters to arrive for the UAE Warriors 18, said.

“I had a nice surgery to my nose. I had to take time out to recover and feel a lot better. I’m happy to be back in the cage with the current pandemic situation and the travel restrictions.

“I’m glad to be back in the octagon and show my new skills that I have been training on. I want to put on a good show as usual.”

The Arabia version is made up of 14 fights and include four Emiratis – Mohammed Yahya and Abdullah Mohammad Ali in the lightweight, and Mohammed Al Katheeri and Yousef Al Housani in the featherweight.

Al Housani, undefeated in two appearances, will face Jordanian Faris Asha while Al Katheeri is making his debut against Egyptian Mostafa Elhamy.

Ali, who has a 2-2 win/loss record, takes on Egyptian Medhat Hussein, and Yahya, the most experienced of the quartet with an 8-3 record, fights Jordanian Saleem Al Bakri, undefeated in two appearances.