Today's Edition
Abu Dhabi (Aletihad)
The organising committee for the Abu Dhabi Extreme Championship (ADXC) has announced that the fifth staging of the championship will take place in Abu Dhabi on August 2 at the Mubadala Arena.
Ever since the unique format, a mixture of grappling and jiu-jitsu formats, became a hit among the Mixed Martial Arts fraternity when it was launched in October last year in the Emirate, there has been clamour to hold the event in different parts of the world.
Following its first two stagings, the successive organisation of the event has crossed national frontiers, first moving to the home of jiu-jitsu in the Brazilian city of Balneário Camboriú, and then Paris, France, where it was most recently held in May.
The championship has captured the attention of audiences with its exciting and thrilling matches, reflecting its ambition for expansion and reaching new global audiences with each event. This is particularly evident given the participation of high-profile athletes in previous editions, unique rules, and unprecedented organisation in the world of combat sports.
Motivated by the growing stature of the tournament in its short tenure already, the upcoming event in the Emirati city will feature innovative matches that embody the UAE's vision of promoting martial arts on a global scale in a distinctive manner.
The fight card announced by the organising committee on Wednesday will include several high-profile bouts in the sports of jiu-jitsu and grappling.
The highlight will be the American fighter and Hall of Fame member in the Ultimated Fighting Championship (UFC) Urijah Faber and his Brazilian jiu-jitsu rival in the world champion Bibiano "Flash" Fernandes. The other main bout will be an all-Brazil affair, featuring Rayron Gracie and Marcus Carrozzino.
One of the two co-main events will see Americans Kevin Lee against Chad Mendes slug it out for national pride. In the heavyweight bout on the main card will be Hamdy Albdelwahab, Egypt's pride in the UFC, in one corner and facing him will be the Dubai-based two-time UFC world champion Pouya Rahmani. Emirati champions Omar Al Suwaidi and Balqis Al Hashimi are also participating.
"Abu Dhabi Extreme has been achieving success after success since its inception... this reflects our commitment to impress the global sports community and showcase our ability to present exceptional events both within and beyond the UAE," said Tariq Al Bahri, General Manager of International Vision Sports Management, the event organisers.
“These achievements are a testament to our adherence to the guidance of our wise leadership aimed at promoting and developing the sport of jiu-jitsu, and we intend to continue this journey and organise many more successful editions in the future,” he added.
The championship featured matches in jiu-jitsu and grappling within a cage, deviating from traditional mat-based bouts. The organisers reiterated that the strategic plan is to grow the championship international by taking it to several of the world's top cities with a selection of the best global fighters.
