ABU DHABI // With a career record of 11 wins and just one defeat, including six wins in seven UFC bouts, Frankie Edgar is well aware of the enormity of the task he will face against lightweight champion BJ Penn at UFC112.
With 10 fewer Octagon fights than the former welterweight belt holder Penn, Edgar is also surrendering three inches in height, plus many more in reach, to his Hawaiian opponent come April.
For the New Jersey fighter, however, who counts wrestling, boxing and a purple belt in jiu-jitsu among his primary threats, the plan to tame Penn does not unnerve him.
"It's going to be a tough fight but I'm excited about the opportunity and I have to do what I do to make the best of it," said Edgar.
"Experience always helps but you can't pass up an opportunity like this. I'm trying to create my own legend and I feel like I am right where I need to be. I do not feel unready in anyway."
Penn's prowess at lightweight considered - a pair of TKO victories and a submission win have seen him defend his title three occasions in the last 19 months - Edgar was reticent when asked about targeting any chinks in the champion's armour.
"BJ's take-down defence is great," he said. "He showed that in his last fight against Diego [Sanchez]. Will I dwell on trying to take him down, who knows?"
Tactics aside, Edgar is not prepared to wait and see what Penn brings to the Abu Dhabi cage, which for the first time in UFC history will be staged outdoors.
"I'm not such a tentative person, I like to be aggressive. I've fought outdoors before, I've just never been paid for it," he added.
"I'll be myself and the fight will go its own way. It's exciting and the heat will be good for me. I'll come to Abu Dhabi 10 days before for a training camp with Henzo [Gracie, who will face Matt Hughes on the same night]; I'll be in good hands."
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A general guide to how active you are:
Less than 5,000 steps - sedentary
5,000 - 9,999 steps - lightly active
10,000 - 12,500 steps - active
12,500 - highly active
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
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THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
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Winners
Best Men's Player of the Year: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Maradona Award for Best Goal Scorer of the Year: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
TikTok Fans’ Player of the Year: Robert Lewandowski
Top Goal Scorer of All Time: Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)
Best Women's Player of the Year: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Best Men's Club of the Year: Chelsea
Best Women's Club of the Year: Barcelona
Best Defender of the Year: Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus/Italy)
Best Goalkeeper of the Year: Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG/Italy)
Best Coach of the Year: Roberto Mancini (Italy)
Best National Team of the Year: Italy
Best Agent of the Year: Federico Pastorello
Best Sporting Director of the Year: Txiki Begiristain (Manchester City)
Player Career Award: Ronaldinho
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
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Three stars
How to get exposure to gold
Although you can buy gold easily on the Dubai markets, the problem with buying physical bars, coins or jewellery is that you then have storage, security and insurance issues.
A far easier option is to invest in a low-cost exchange traded fund (ETF) that invests in the precious metal instead, for example, ETFS Physical Gold (PHAU) and iShares Physical Gold (SGLN) both track physical gold. The VanEck Vectors Gold Miners ETF invests directly in mining companies.
Alternatively, BlackRock Gold & General seeks to achieve long-term capital growth primarily through an actively managed portfolio of gold mining, commodity and precious-metal related shares. Its largest portfolio holdings include gold miners Newcrest Mining, Barrick Gold Corp, Agnico Eagle Mines and the NewMont Goldcorp.
Brave investors could take on the added risk of buying individual gold mining stocks, many of which have performed wonderfully well lately.
London-listed Centamin is up more than 70 per cent in just three months, although in a sign of its volatility, it is down 5 per cent on two years ago. Trans-Siberian Gold, listed on London's alternative investment market (AIM) for small stocks, has seen its share price almost quadruple from 34p to 124p over the same period, but do not assume this kind of runaway growth can continue for long
However, buying individual equities like these is highly risky, as their share prices can crash just as quickly, which isn't what what you want from a supposedly safe haven.
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