KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)
Two championship titles on the line at UFC 333 were defended well in contrasting styles in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.
Defending champions in featherweight and bantamweight respectively - Alexander Volkanovski and Petr Yan - beat Movsar Evloev and Merab Dvalishvili to retain their belts at the end of a pulsating night that left not a single seat empty seat at the Etihad Arena. Nonetheless, the double header was decided in its own entertaining way – with a boisterous crowd to boot.
“This was the highest attendance at a UFC event in Abu Dhabi. 50% of it came from outside of Abu Dhabi. We [UFC] now have four of the best five gates [attendance receipts] here in Abu Dhabi,” UFC president Dana White said at the end of the night.
The supremo of the promotion also hinted that some “big plans are in the making here” in the region from an Arab fighters’ perspective.
Main Fight
While Volkanovski finished his bout six seconds before the second round, Yan looked very much in trouble; yet he dipped into his experience to slowly but surely turn the screws in a bout that went the distance. The outcome was unsure until the judges’ decision was announced.
Evloev was determined to make an impression in his first title challenge “after having worked hard to prove himself” that he belonged to the stage. Both were tentative for most of the first two rounds. In the early moments, it looked like Volkanovski had lost his edge after having acted in a film “Streetfighter”, which released this week with promotional duties that may have cut into his schedule.
But the moment Volkanovski landed a punch on the chin and Evloev took a couple of seconds extra to regain his balance, it was enough for the street fighting spirit in Volkanovski to take over. He went in for the closure with such venom that six more seconds proved too long for Evloev to hold out.
Co-main Bout
Dvalishvili came out charging like a dog at the heels of his nemesis, at a blazing speed that looked unsustainable. Two years senior to Yan at age 35, Dvalishvili’s strategy was obvious: surprise and trouble with speed while trying to pin down the crowd favourite for takedowns.
The first two rounds clearly went to Dvalishvili while Yan kept his poise and tried to bide his time. The first decisive moment came when Yan’s left kick landed with a thud on his rival’s ribcage that the latter could not conceal, clutching with a grimace.
He then went back to his grin that he sported all match long. Slowly but steadily, Yan got into his routine, slipping out of every takedown attempt quickly – a whopping 52 in the bout - and landing counter punches wherever they went. Those included two more to the ribcage - enough for the judges to rule 48-47 unanimously in Yan’s favour, much to the delight of his family, who stomped into the well when the decision was announced.
“He knew I take time to warm up in a bout, but I was confident he will tire down and I will have my chance,” Yan said while thanking the partisan crowd for the support. Thus far, he has fought and won all three important bouts of his career in Abu Dhabi.
Prelim Potshots
Among the prelim card for the early fights, the highlights belonged to Daniel Santos, Grant Dawson and Colby Thicknesse who won their respective fights.
The Brazilian Santos beat Nigeria’s Bolaji Oki and paid tribute to his friend and training partner Allan Nascimento, who passed away earlier this month due to a heart attack at age 34.
Thicknesse, an unknown and unconventional fighter proved a difficult opponent to handle for Asaf Chopurov - undefeated in 11 fights as UAE Warriors bantamweight champion - but his UFC debut did not turn out as he would have liked.
Instead, it was Thicknesse who sprung a surprise - similar to the one the Australian himself received on his trip to Abu Dhabi. The training partner of Volkanovski was treated to a session with another compatriot, Brett Lee, in the sport of cricket. Thicknesse claimed he played two balls from Lee, missing one and the “other hit for a six”, an outcome not yet confirmed by Lee.
Lee has been in UAE with various events in the past week.
“That was not on my bingo card when I was coming over to Abu Dhabi,” Thicknesse said of facing Lee. “It has been really wild.”
Nurullo Aliev was another fighter to have his record spoilt: his 12-0 record was marred when an ageing Dawson with a 24-3-1 record at age 34 proved sceptics wrong with a clinical first-round technical knockout win.